Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil
by Kriegmarine
Summary: On the night he stole the Scroll of Sealing, Naruto learns from Mizuki that he is the Kyuubi's Jinchuriki. But what if that was a cover for the true secret, and what if Mizuki knew this secret... smarter!Naruto, Kyuubi!Naruto, possibly ooc characters, NaruXHina, slow story build-up. M for: Safety /Language currently\ . R&R Please! **Rewrite is now up!**
1. Chapter 1

Uploaded: August 17, 2012. (will be using this to help guesstimate update times for people)

Written: August 11-14, 2012.

Edited: September 22, 2012. (Version 1.2)

**Hello, I'm Kriegmarine; a new author to FF. This here will be my second story to be created and published on FanFiction. I have put much work into its creation, but that is not to say that it's anywhere near perfect. All help is welcomed (and encouraged!) to create a better end-product for you, the reader. Such help can be expressed through PM's or reviews (the latter would be preferred so as that I may know what story, as there will be others over-time, you are talking about). Lastly, I'm terrible with these AN things, but meh. Keep in mind that the first couple of chapters will follow somewhat closely with canon and diverge at some point later.**

"Talking/Jutsu"

"_Whispering_"

'_Thinking'_

"Text in a book"

"**Demon/Summon talking**"

"_**Demon/Summon whispering**_"

**'_Demon/Summon thinking'_**

(Not exactly proper grammar, but helps discern what-is-what when reading)

_FYI: My stories shall all be rated "M" for safety's sake. I nor FanFiction are, in any way, responsible for what **you** choose to read. (cussing, violence, dark matter, etc... all the tasty bits that make up stories will be in my stories. As such; if you're under 18, your funeral if you get caught n00b.)_

Disclaimer: I will make it clear that I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, settings, and techniques save my own creations. If anyone spots a problem in my story that goes against this do please let me know so that I may correct the issue.(I may mistakenly take and use techniques, scenarios, or items created by other authors without giving them due credit. It is not that I don't want to credit them, but more because my memory is shit.)

* * *

**Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil  
**

"_...While researching the Scroll of Seals, I found a very interesting piece of information about our student here. You see, he has a unique seal in-place between his eyes on the bridge of his nose. What does this seal do, you ask? From what I could determine, It is an advanced henge seal. This begs the question: Just what is it hiding?" Mizuki looked away from Iruka and back to Naruto, depravity emanating from his being. "WHY DON'T WE FIND OUT!" He maniacally stated before rushing towards Naruto, his arm outstretched._

_Naruto edged away, taken off-guard by the sudden twist of events. "S-stay back! Don-" "RELEASE!" Mizuki shouted, thrusting his palm onto where he learned the seal was located, regardless of Naruto's pleas. As soon as his palm hit the hidden seal, a thick cloud of smoke blanketed the area, hiding everything in the vicinity. _

_Iruka was painfully squinting his eyes, trying to see through the smoke. He sluggishly staggered towards where he last saw the two. He was about to shout out to Naruto when he felt a breeze pick up. When the smoke cleared he fell back, his blood turned to ice. 'I-i-impossible...'_

* * *

_Several hours earlier..._

* * *

"YOU FAIL!"

As he stared at his two teachers, Naruto felt a myriad of feelings and emotions; confusion, shock, denial, anger, and despair to name but a few. He had worked, for the entirety of his short life, for this very moment; The moment he graduated from the Academy and became a ninja for his village, Konohagakure no Sato. He had lived with the hate that was heaped upon himself; The whispers and muttering from the shadows. The shouts, glares, and various missiles thrown at him when in the open. But he could never for the life of him figure out _why_. Why were the villagers so cruel to him? Why did they call him 'Demon' and 'Abomination' if they were not actively seeking to cause him pain whenever he came by? Lastly, why did they always try to _**kill **_him on his birthday of October 10th, the day of the Kyuubi Festival?

* * *

Naruto knew that his one and only chance to ever be accepted, to ever possibly be _loved_, by his village was to become one of its protectors; A Ninja. So when Jiji asked him on his seventh birthday whether or not he wanted to become a ninja, he jumped at the chance.

He entered the Academy three month's later, two years earlier than most others in his age group. In the beginning he was an attentive, if quite, student, but trouble soon followed... like it always had.

Whenever he began whispering to others nearby for help or lost attention during class, he was forced to stand in the hallway next to the classroom, an 'example' for his classmates. He found that he had much trouble with the academy techniques, but whenever he asked for help he was either yelled at or turned away by his teachers to "learn the techniques through your own work; We did our part, now you do yours." He left the teachers alone after asking such questions. Naruto watched others with similar problems receive the help they wanted, that they _needed_, and it left him bitter.

'_Why me?_' Naruto thought to himself, watching a teacher help one of his fellow classmates during his third year in the Academy, hiding his woes behind a care-free mask. '_What have I ever done to be so hated, so despised, by everyone around me? I have never intentionally hurt anyone, but they call me a 'Demon child'. Hell, I try to help people whenever possible, yet they reward me with beatings and glares. I joined the Academy to become a fellow ninja, yet if anything everyone hates me more..._'

Naruto's hard work soon gave way to a personality begging for attention of any form; From a mid-grade he fell to the dead last of his class. He payed less attention during lessons, opting to sleep instead. His questioning whispers changed to boisterous shouts during lectures, earning the ire of students and teachers alike. The most obvious, and in some peoples' opinion diabolical, change were the pranks.

From the graffiti drawn on storefronts to the cans of shaving cream he rigged to explode in teachers' desks, Naruto became infamous for his pranks and the bane of ANBU everywhere. It was an daily sight to see a child being chased by packs of ANBU, never once getting caught by his pursuers. Over the four years in the Academy, the pranks became more complex:

Balloons filled with paint unleashed on everyone in the market after activating stink bombs in the market stalls and storefronts, painting everyone present a livid orange color.

Replacing all of the Akimichi Clan's clothes with chef uniforms after he had glued ladles to their hands, some of which decided to continue sporting the uniforms to this day.

Lacing the clothes of every male in the Inuzuka Clan with female pheromones just before unleashing the Inuzuka Dogs of War.

His most well-known prank at the time was when he glued sunglasses and walking canes to the majority of the Hyuga Clan during the night, a parody based upon their eyes.

When Naruto's first graduation exam came, many in the village were hoping that he would fail (while all of the ANBU were praying that he would pass if it were to end his devious pranking days). He failed his first exam, unleashing another year of hell for the ANBU. His second exam came and went, the results the same as before (along with a marked increase of mentally-unstable ANBU operatives). This year was his third and final exam, but it would appear that the results were to be the same.

* * *

"Don't you think you're over-reacting a bit, Iruka?" one of the two teachers asked, glancing over to his scarred colleague.

"What do you mean, Mizuki?" Iruka questioned, looking to his silver-haired associate.

"Well, he was able to make all of the necessary clones needed to pass and that... Henge of his is very advanced. Also, the entire village knows about his pranks and the chases that come with them. How could they not? If he can allude ANBU, what is to say he can't do the same with ninja from other villages? Surely he could pass just from that!" the now-named Mizuki pleaded, waving his arm towards Naruto.

Naruto's hopes were lifted, but were soon brutally crushed by what was said next.

"We can't do that; While he _did_ make three clones, they were closer to corpses than proper copies. They would not fool anyone! While he has lost ANBU pursuit, we must keep in mind that the ANBU are on fairly good terms with him. If they were hostile, they would go to far greater lengths in order to capture him. My decision stands; Seeing as this was his third, and final, chance to pass, Naruto will no longer be considered for Ninja Training." Iruka stated, leaving no room for negotiation. He looked away from Mizuki's pleading face and rested his gaze upon the blonde, spiky-haired teen before him. "I really am sorry, Naruto, but I simply cannot let you pass. Do please understand-"

Naruto, at this point, was no longer paying attention to Iruka's calming tones. Holding his hands before his lowered gaze, he stared at them; He had other thoughts on his mind.

'_All of my time and effort; was it really for nothing? Am I forever destined to be hated by all around me?_'

Naruto was brought out of his inner turmoil by the sudden appearance of Iruka's face right before him, a pained expression painted on his features.

"Naruto..." Iruka slowly began. "I know that this hurts, I really do, but it had to be done. If I let you pass, I may as well had ordered your execution." Iruka did not notice Naruto flinch, having chosen at that moment to look out of the window in the exam room.

"The Ninja World is a dangerous place, unfitting of someone with your level of skill. Had you payed more attention in class or practiced more, perhaps this would not have happened, but what is done is done. Now, if you want, we can talk later and-" Iruka was cut off by Naruto running out of the exam room and conjoining classroom, his head lowered towards the floor in a poor attempt to hide the tears falling freely from his face.

Iruka let out a long sigh. '_I really hope you understand someday..._' he thought. He then walked back to the table holding the testing papers for the exam and picked up the clipboard holding a paper with the names of his other students. "Alright, who is next..."

* * *

Iruka never noticed the smirk from the teacher seated behind him nor the worried expression crossing a certain Hyuga's face.

"_Naruto-kun..._" she whispered.

* * *

**A slow build up to the turning point of my story; BEAR WITH ME, COMRADES!**

**PS: I don't take credit for the Hyuga prank. Saw it in one of the stories here on FF.**

**EDIT: Some grammar changes.**


	2. Chapter 2

Released: August 17, 2012. (will be using this to help guesstimate update times for people)

Written: August 14-15, 2012.

Edited: September 22, 2012. (Version 1.1)

**You may have noticed, but I tend to keep the chapters short. I find this to be helpful when one is about to go to sleep; no need to hunt down your last place of reading in a monster of a chapter. Also, the beginning of this story is mainly based off of canon, whose plot I lay no claim to.**

"Talking/Jutsu"

"_Whispering_"

'_Thinking'_

"Text in a book"

"**Demon/Summon talking**"

"_**Demon/Summon whispering**_"

**'_Demon/Summon thinking'_**

(Not exactly proper grammar, but helps discern what-is-what when reading)

_FYI: My stories shall all be rated "M" for safety's sake. I nor FanFiction are, in any way, responsible for what **you** choose to read. (cussing, violence, dark matter, etc... all the tasty bits that make up stories will be in my stories. As such; if you're under 18, your funeral if you get caught n00b.)_

Disclaimer: I will make it clear that I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, settings, and techniques save my own creations. If anyone spots a problem in my story that goes against this do please let me know so that I may correct the issue.(I may mistakenly take and use techniques, scenarios, or items created by other authors without giving them due credit. It is not that I don't want to credit them, but more because my memory is shit.)

* * *

**Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil**

Naruto sat on the swing hanging from a tree in front of the Academy, a blank look on his normally cheerful face. His unfocused gaze was directed in the general direction of his peers being picked up by their parents, proudly sporting their new headbands proclaiming them to be ninja of the Leaf.

"Way to go, Kabe!" One parent spoke, pride seeping from his voice. "I always knew you had it in you! Lets go get some lunch to celebrate... _and you better not tell your mother about this or she'll slowly rip off my manly pride for not getting her anything_..." He finished, whispering the last sentence to his suddenly pale son.

Many of the other conversations floating around the crowd mingling in front of the Academy building went along similar lines of speech. There were, however, some people talking about a certain blonde.

"Wait, isn't that-?" A women asked, conversing with one of the Academy teachers.

"Yup, that's _him_, the only one to fail the class." The other replied, shooting a hateful glare Naruto's way.

"Did _it_ now? Good... If that _Thing_ ever did become a ninja, it would be a disaster waiting to happen. I mean, could you imagine what would happen to anyone that had to be teamed-up with the Kyu-" "SHHHH!" The other woman cut her off. "It is forbidden to say that in the open, especially around the children!"

Naruto barely registered the conversations around him, deep in thought about his predicament.

'_Nothing... there is nothing for me now. I'll never be able to get a job. I'll never have any true friends. I'll never truly be... _**_loved_**_. Maybe the villagers were right... maybe I should just die..._'

He got up from the swing and walked away.

* * *

In a nearby alley a couple minutes later, a voice he least expected hearing stopped him.

"I'm sorry about the exam earlier, Naruto. Had it been up to me, you would be sporting a Leaf Hitai-ate right now..." Mizuki spoke, casually walking up to Naruto. "Some of the things you have done are truly amazing, if not impossible for others to duplicate." Naruto looked up, shocked by what he was being told. He had never received such praise like this from anyone except Jiji. "... But after thinking about what Iruka said, he is right; Without a firm foundation of Jutsu to work with, you can't be passed... for your own safety." Naruto looked back down, his self-confidence now at the breaking point.

Mizuki continued. "Iruka did it to protect you. Do you want to know why?" Naruto looked up, genuinely curious. "Why?" He asked.

"He sees himself in you." Mizuki stated, confusing the blonde-haired teen. "He sees the pain you try to hide with your actions, just as he did when he was in the Academy. You see, he too was an orphan..."

Naruto stared wide-eyed at Mizuki. "When? How did he lose his parents?" He asked.

"He lost his parents when the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked thirteen years ago and has been alone since." Mizuki answered. "You see? He did not fail you out of spite, but instead to protect you. He wants to show you that he _cares_ about you!"

Naruto was dumbstruck. '_He cares about me?_' He thought, but the implications from earlier events that day returned in full-force. "... It doesn't matter if he cares about me or not at this point. The only way I would have gone on in life was if I became a ninja. But now... _now both options are closed to me_..." He finished solemnly.

Mizuki noticed this. '_Now is the time to strike..._' He leaned in towards Naruto, mindful of the occasional passer-by, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "_... There is another way..._"

Naruto's head shot up, his attention focused solely Mizuki and his next words. _"I've heard that you have an abnormally high amount of chakra. The reason you have been unable to properly use clones is because the ones taught here in the Academy require miniscule amounts of chakra to perform; Amounts far too small for your limited chakra control. The written test, while good for measuring one's ninja knowledge, does not adequately test for how that knowledge is applied; Something you have demonstrated __repeatedly__. Lastly, and building upon what I just said, there is your unmatched prowess in stealth... there isn't anyone else I know of that can paint a city monument the size of a mountain in broad daylight without getting noticed beforehand __while__ wearing a bright-orange jumpsuit!_"

Mizuki took note of the orange-clad boy's intense focus. Smirking internally, He continued with his plan, whispering more details to Naruto. "_I have seen how flawed the current exam structure is and, as a Chunin hand-picked by the Hokage to teach the future generations of Konoha ninja, created a test that may be more... befitting of someone with your current skill-set. In the Hokage's residence is a scroll, kept there for safe-keeping. The scroll is about the size of your leg with red, wooden knobs on each end. In this scroll are written some of the most powerful techniques known to our village, techniques that were deemed either too powerful or too dangerous to the user." _

"_Tonight, starting at six o'clock, I want you to sneak into the residence and take the scroll; there are numerous ANBU stationed in and around the building, not even counting the Hokage. After taking the scroll __undetected__, you will learn one of the techniques written inside. I'll give you four hours, starting from when the test begins, before I meet up with you. when we meet I want you to demonstrate what you have learned... and with your drive, I'm sure you'll pass with flying colors!_"

Mizuki, at this point, leaned back to his previous position, looking Naruto directly in the eyes he asked: "Will you accept this opportunity, Naruto Uzumaki?"

Naruto, barely able to contain his glee, covered it up well-enough and gave his teacher, _his savior_, a serious look. "I do, Mizuki-sensei."

Mizuki let a grin dominate his face. "Then I look forward to seeing your success! I'll see you later on tonight, Naruto." As he watched the young teen ecstatically run off, Mizuki couldn't help letting out a chuckle. '_Too easy. Once I have the Scroll of Sealing, I'll finally get to leave this shithole... who knows, if no major problems pop up and if the fucking brat shows up on time, I may even take care of the local demon infestation on my way out!_'

* * *

Contrary to what many would think or assume, Naruto did not run off to celebrate his small victory. He had, instead, set up close to the Hokage Tower to observe the ANBU patrols; The routes they took, the time and location (which were all, luckily, done at the main entrance of the tower) when the shifts changed, and how long it took for patrols to get to certain points along their patrols. He ran a pattern around the tower, taking note of any and all changes to known escape routes. During this time he took a detour to eat at Ichiraku's, again proving to Ayame and Teuchi that their favorite customer has a black hole for a stomach after consuming fifteen bowls of ramen.

After paying for the food (more along the lines of Ayame having him only pay for four bowls-worth of ramen. ("Favorite Customers' Special Savings" she called it)) Naruto ran back to the Hokage Tower, fueled and ready for the night's events.

* * *

**2nd chapter done for the four-part release!**

**EDIT: Some minor grammar changes.**


	3. Chapter 3

Released: August 17, 2012. (will be using this to help guesstimate update times for people)

Written: August 14-15, 2012.

Edited: September 22, 2012 (Version 1.2)

"Talking/Jutsu"

"_Whispering_"

'_Thinking'_

"Text in a book"

"**Demon/Summon talking**"

"_**Demon/Summon whispering**_"

**'_Demon/Summon thinking'_**

(Not exactly proper grammar, but helps discern what-is-what when reading)

_FYI: My stories shall all be rated "M" for safety's sake. I nor FanFiction are, in any way, responsible for what **you** choose to read. (cussing, violence, dark matter, etc... all the tasty bits that make up stories will be in my stories. As such; if you're under 18, your funeral if you get caught n00b.)_

Disclaimer: I will make it clear that I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, settings, and techniques save my own creations. If anyone spots a problem in my story that goes against this do please let me know so that I may correct the issue.(I may mistakenly take and use techniques, scenarios, or items created by other authors without giving them due credit. It is not that I don't want to credit them, but more because my memory is shit.)

* * *

**Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil**

The time had finally come. Naruto had prepared in every way his inventive mind could imagine; If he he was caught by ANBU before, during, or after taking the scroll. If he was caught by Jiji. If he was caught by _all_ of them in a compromising position _while_ taking the scroll. Hell, he had plans set up in case he was attacked by a horde of scythe-wielding weasels (not that they existed or anything...). Keeping all of the possible, however _unlikely_, scenarios in mind, he began the test.

He snuck across and into the residence from a nearby building. From there he scaled the wall and through one of its numerous windows. Having made it inside thus-far undetected, he made his way towards the vault where he knew Jiji kept many scrolls, hoping the one he was looking for was there.

"What are you doing in my home in the middle of the night?!"

Naruto spun around, fast enough to hear the popping and cracking of his strained bones. Behind him stood an aging man wearing a black cloak under the Hokage's Mantle, a smoking pipe hanging loosely from his lips. His name is Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime of Konoha, and is one of the very few people in the village that Naruto could trust. The teen chuckled in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck. "... Would you believe me if I told you that I got lost on the Road of Life?"

Sarutobi face-faulted. "No." He deadpanned, staring dubiously at the teen he considered as one of his grandchildren.

"Damn..." Naruto muttered. "That only leaves Plan B..."

"What are you-" Sarutobi began, getting cut off mid-sentence.

"Oiroke no Jutsu!" Followed closely by a startled, "GAAAAH!"

After performing his original technique, Naruto could only stare at the blood that was sprayed all along the hall along which the old man rocketed away. '_... Holy Shit, I never expected that to work against Jiji!_'

After searching the vault for five minutes, Naruto found the scroll he was searching for. He secured it to his back with a sturdy strap and immediately left the building, not noticing the tuft of silver hair peeking near a corner of a nearby building.

* * *

After making it to his secret training grounds (Mizuki never did tell him where to meet-up), he unrolled the scroll. The first thing Naruto noticed was the Kage Bunshin technique. '_This is perfect! With this I can pass the test using the very technique that failed me!' _ He thought, smirking. He was about to begin learning the technique when he decided it would probably be a good idea to read the jutsu's description; Best to know what, exactly, he was getting into.

"Technique: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Rank: B. The product of an early collaborative effort between the Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka Clans, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, a Jonin-level jutsu, is a marvel among clone techniques. The two defining features of the technique are its method of creation and its ability to share any and all knowledge gained by the clone(s) to its creator. Shadow Clones are based-" Naruto read, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

* * *

Far away, in the Land of Rice, Orochimaru was overseeing the training of the Sound Four in his hidden base. Suddenly, a chill worked its way up his spine. "... _I feel a disturbance in the Force._" he muttered quietly, unknowingly catching the attention of his elite guards. "_It is like a thousand voices just cried out in terror, and just as suddenly as they came; Silence..._" "Orochimaru-sama, is there something wrong?"

Orochimaru glanced over to his elite guards, only now noticing their curiosity perked by his rambling. "Return to your training..."

* * *

Iruka was lying on his bed, thinking over what the Hokage had spoken to him about earlier.

* * *

_Flashback._

* * *

_Iruka stood next to the Hokage among the numerous parents and ex-students, watching Naruto walk away from the Academy. Sarutobi spoke up. "Iruka, can I have a word with you?" "Of course, Hokage-sama." Iruka replied, leading the aged Hokage into the school before ushering him into a vacant classroom._

"_Iruka..." The Hokage began. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"_

"_I do understand what you feel about the boy... growing up, like you, without the love of any parental figures..." *_

* * *

Flashback end.

* * *

Thinking back on the what the Hokage had spoke to him about, Iruka couldn't help but think about the night the Kyuubi attacked...

* * *

_Flashback round 2._

* * *

"_WE'VE GOT TO HOLD ON UNTIL THE HOKAGE GETS HERE!" A Jonin shouted, trying his best to be heard over the roars of the beast he and numerous others were fighting; The Kyuubi no Yoko._

"_LET ME GO!" a young Iruka shouted at the man carrying him away from the scene of carnage, watching as the Kyuubi filled its maw with numerous ninja before gnashing its teeth together, blood and gore pouring down from its mouth onto the ninja fighting below._

"_Mom and Dad... They're still fighting the demon!" Iruka yelled, hoping the man would stop but for a second; He did not. The last thing Iruka saw before being forced into the evacuation tunnels were the rage and madness-filled eyes of the monster destroying everything he loved...*_

* * *

_Flashback end._

* * *

Iruka was brought out of his past by insistent knocking on his door. Curious as to who was knocking on his door and why so loudly, he made his way to the door. Opening it, he was shocked to see Mizuki's disheveled self. "Iruka, it's Naruto..."

* * *

**Alright! Another chapter down and another chapter closer to the game changer!**

***Was mostly derived from canon, with a few small changes.**

**For those who may be interest, here is my full description of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu/Shadow Clone Technique:**

Technique: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Rank: B. The product of an early collaborative effort between the Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka Clans, the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, a Jonin-level jutsu, is a marvel among clone techniques. The two defining features of the technique are its method of creation and its ability to share any and all knowledge gained by the clone(s) to its creator. Shadow Clones are based purely upon chakra; No elements, such as water or earth, are needed in its creation. While this gives the user, especially one with limited elemental manipulation, some advantages such as making solid clones indistinguishable from the original to a Byakugan or Sharingan user due to the equal amounts of chakra spread out between the clones and the original, there is a dangerous drawback. Namely, the high chakra cost; One Shadow Clone is roughly equal to thirty E-Rank or ten C-Rank clone techniques. However, as previously stated, the technique has its advantages. Every solid clone is independent from the user, starting with the user's base knowledge and returning any new information when dismissed or dispersed. A user can multiply the amount of training they can perform by the number of clones that they create (_the clones cannot increase a user's muscle mass, but can train their muscle memory and jutsu knowledge_)**(Note: A kunoichi from Grass was reported to have learned over a hundred C to A-Rank techniques within a month using Shadow Clones. She has, unfortunately, passed away, making it difficult to verify this claim.).** Also, because of the information retaining ability, the clones make for superb scouts and decoys for testing an enemy's skills and tactics.

**EDIT: Added a description of Sarutobi.**

******^: Some minor grammar changes.**


	4. Chapter 4

Released: August 17, 2012. (will be using this to help guesstimate update times for people)

Written: August 14-15, 2012.

Edited: September 22, 2012. (Version 1.1)

**Alright, ye patient readers. Here be the fruit of your (and my) labors; The Turning Point. This, hopefully, is where the story will take off from somewhat-interesting to 'MY MIND HAS SPLORTED OUT OF MUH ASS!' awesomesauce. Enjoy!**

"Talking/Jutsu"

"_Whispering_"

'_Thinking'_

"Text in a book"

"**Demon/Summon talking**"

"_**Demon/Summon whispering**_"

**'_Demon/Summon thinking'_**

(Not exactly proper grammar, but helps discern what-is-what when reading)

_FYI: My stories shall all be rated "M" for safety's sake. I nor FanFiction are, in any way, responsible for what **you** choose to read. (cussing, violence, dark matter, etc... all the tasty bits that make up stories will be in my stories. As such; if you're under 18, your funeral if you get caught n00b.)_

Disclaimer: I will make it clear that I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, settings, and techniques save my own creations. If anyone spots a problem in my story that goes against this do please let me know so that I may correct the issue.(I may mistakenly take and use techniques, scenarios, or items created by other authors without giving them due credit. It is not that I don't want to credit them, but more because my memory is shit.)

* * *

**Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil**

"That _boy_ has taken this prank too far! He must be held accountable for his actions!" A Jonin shouted, cries of agreement heard among the gathered ninja on the roof of the Hokage Tower.

'_I'm getting too old for this shit..._' One Sarutobi Hiruzen thought, looking over his gathered ninja. They were among his very best...

"Throw the brat in prison! Only place that would ever possibly find a _use_ for him!"

They took missions that lesser men would shy away from...

"Fuck that, just kill him for the abomination he is!"

They were also-

"Yeah! You got the right idea, Kojji!"

The gentle man named Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to talk them out of such dreadful thoughts, but the "God of Shinobi" wanted to grind their bodies down and use whatever little bits that were left to feed the Inuzuka hounds. Alas, the two personas compromised. "ENOUGH!" He shouted, effectively ending any other outbursts before they were made apparent to all present. "If any one of you says _one_ _more word_, I will personally escort you to T&I Headquarters for personalized etiquette lessons from both Ibiki and Anko!" All present paled at such implications.

Sarutobi huffed. "Now that I have your attention, I have called all of you here due to the theft of an important village artifact; The Scroll of Sealing. The scroll was taken by one Uzumaki Naruto about three-and-a-half hours ago. The reason for his actions have yet to be determined. You will search for him and recover both the scroll and the boy intact; Lethal force is **NOT** authorized! Neither must be allowed to leave this village! Have I made myself clear?!" The aged Hokage bellowed, loud enough for those furthest away to hear his words.

"HAI, HOKAGE-SAMA!" The ninja present chorused.

"THEN GO!" The Hokage commanded, making a horizontal cutting-motion with his left arm. "HAI!" In an instant all of the shinobi and kunoichi flickered away, a gust of wind the only sign that anyone other than the Hokage had been on the roof of the tower.

'_I don't know what you're doing, Naruto, but please be safe; No-one must learn of your secret..._' Sarutobi thought, looking over his slumbering village.

* * *

Iruka was becoming increasingly agitated. He had checked three other spots within the past half-hour, but Naruto wasn't at any of them. This last spot he was checking was the last straw; If Naruto was not here, Iruka wouldn't know what he would do.

'_You had better be here, Naruto._' Iruka thought grumpily, jumping through the foliage near Naruto's supposedly-secret training ground. Jumping into the open, Iruka had his hopes answered; The blonde teen was lying down in the dirt, disheveled and dirty almost as if he just got finished with a... training...session...

"Naruto..." He slowly hissed out, startling the recovering boy.

Naruto jumped onto his feet, staring wide-eyed at his former Academy teacher. "I-Iruka-sensei!? W-what are you doing here!?" He asked, still shocked by the sudden appearance of Iruka.

"Wha-WHAT AM I DOING HERE!? Is that all you've got to say for what you have done!?" Iruka yelled, bopping Naruto on the head with his fist.

Naruto was face-planted into the ground, his ass hanging in the breeze and a large welt forming on his head. "Owowowowow..." He repeatedly whined out. After a couple moments he suddenly jumped up, the welt having disappeared. "Iruka-sensei, test me again! I got a technique that will blow your mind!" He shouted, taking the Chunin off-guard by his sudden burst of energy.

Iruka pinched his nose. Having decided on the best way he could think of to reason with his ex-student without sounding condescending, he gazed down to the young teen, sadness racking his body. "Naruto, I ca-" "Speaking of tests, where is Mizuki-sensei? He said he would be meeting me around this time..." The boy cut in, asking his question while actively searching the clearing for any signs of the silver-haired man.

Iruka was caught off-guard by his question. "Mizuki? What does he hav-" He stopped as soon as he heard the whistling of numerous blades cutting through the air. He ran at Naruto, his arms outstretched. "MOVE!"

Naruto was pushed out of the path of the deadly blades. "Ooomph!" He grunted, skidding on his back a couple of meters. After regaining his bearings, he looked back to his previous spot. He was greeted by the sight of Iruka's kunai-riddled body. "I-I-Ir-Iru-IRUKA-SENSEI!" He screamed out. He immediately jumped up, but was stopped from moving any further by a new voice. "DON'T!" Mizuki yelled out.

Naruto spun around. "Wha-What have you done?! You killed Iruka-Sensei!" He yelled back, shock and confusion written across his face.

"He was after the scroll, Naruto! He was going to take it after he had killed you!" Mizuki responded, pointing an accusing finger at Iruka's body. Naruto was dumbstruck. "B-but why? He just-" "D-Don't Listen to him, N-Naruto!"

Naruto again spun around to see Iruka struggling back to his feet. "GET BACK, NARUTO!" Mizuki ordered, jumping down beside the boy holding his Hell Shurikens toward the bleeding shinobi. "Iruka will say and do _anything_ to get his hands on that scroll! He may have acted kindly to you in the past, but it is all a lie! Don't let yourself be deceived." Mizuki glanced over to the boy next to him. "Naruto, this is a fight between Chunin; Far too dangerous for you to stay here. Give me the scroll and leave, as fast as you can; I can handle this!." Naruto was reaching back for the scroll's strap when Iruka's voice stopped him.

"DON'T, NARUTO! That scroll holds every secret technique belonging to this village! I along with many others have been searching for you; The village thinks you stole the scroll! If it were to _ever_ get into the wrong hands... Naruto, don't give it to him! DEFEND THAT SCROLL WITH YOUR LIFE!" he shouted, gingerly pulling kunai from his body while pleadingly looking to his ex-student.

Naruto looked Iruka over suspiciously. "How do I know you're not just telling me this so you can take the-" "THEN DON'T GIVE IT TO ME! Ask yourself: If I did not care for you but instead for the scroll, why would I have taken the kunai meant for you!?" Iruka cut in, stopping Naruto from speaking any further.

Naruto froze. _'Is he... is he telling me the truth?_' Before he could take that thought any further, Mizuki let out an exasperated sigh before looking to him. "Well, it appears I can't keep this charade up any longer..." He said before shoving one of the oversized shurikens' bladed edges to Naruto's throat.

Mizuki glared back at Iruka before a feral grin suddenly dominated his face. He turned to a wide-eyed and trembling Naruto. "...Say, do you want to know why the village hates you?" He asked, his sickly-sweet voice causing a shiver to tear through Naruto's body. Iruka knew where Mizuki was going with his line of questioning. "YOU MUSN'T TELL HIM, MIZUKI! The Law..." Naruto looked to Iruka, startled by his sudden outburst. "Wh-what are yo-" "Do you know what happened thirteen years ago?" Mizuki cut in. Naruto, though confused by change in subject, answered. "Of course I know what happened! The Kyuubi attacked and was killed by the Yondaime, but what does-" He was again cut off by the shurikan-wielding Chunin.

"The Kyuubi was never killed. He was sealed away..." Mizuki spoke, lowering his Hell Shurikan and unnerving the boy before him, both with his actions and speech. "That night, the Yondaime chose a newly-born infant to seal the demon into. Do you want to know who he chose?" He asked grinning wickedly, staring into Naruto's ocean-blue eyes. "He chose _you_! YOU ARE THE CONTAINER OF THE KYUUBI NO YOKO, THE DEMON THAT RAVAGED THIS VILLAGE AND STOLE IRUKA'S PARENTS AWAY!" He shouted. Naruto stumbled back, shocked by the revelation. "_I'm... I'm the-_" He whispered. He stopped once again when Mizuki leaned towards him. "...But the best part about this little story is... it's a _cover_ for what _really happened_..." He spoke, gaining the attention of both Naruto and Iruka.

Iruka held a defensive posture as best as he could in his current state, but he, like Naruto, was curious about Mizuki's last statement. "The hell are you talking about?!" He questioned, glaring holes into his ex-friend's head.

Mizuki turned to Iruka. "While researching the Scroll of Seals, I found a _very _interesting piece of information about our student here. You see, he has a unique seal in-place between his eyes on the bridge of his nose. What does this seal do, you ask? From what I could determine, It is an advanced henge seal. This begs the question: Just what is it hiding?" Mizuki looked away from Iruka and back to Naruto, depravity emanating from his being. "WHY DON'T WE FIND OUT!" He maniacally stated before rushing towards Naruto, his arm outstretched.

Naruto edged away, taken off-guard by the sudden twist of events. "S-stay back! Don-" "RELEASE!" Mizuki shouted, thrusting his palm onto where he learned the seal was located, regardless of Naruto's pleas. As soon as his palm hit the hidden seal, a thick cloud of smoke blanketed the area, hiding everything in the vicinity.

Iruka was painfully squinting his eyes, trying to see through the smoke. He sluggishly staggered towards where he last saw the two. He was about to shout out to Naruto when he felt a breeze pick up. When the smoke cleared he fell back, his blood turned to ice. '_I-i-impossible..._'

* * *

Naruto was unsure as to what was happening. One moment he was certain that he was dead, the next he felt a comfortable breeze flow around his body. He stood rooted to his spot for a couple seconds, waiting for the inevitable pain. When none came, he opened his eyes. Before him stood Mizuki; Pale, wide-eyed, and slack-jawed. A more perfect example of shock than anything Naruto had seen before. '_… The hell?_' Naruto thought, just before remembering Iruka. Turning towards his teacher he was met with more of the same reaction; Pale face, wide eyes, and a gaping mouth. What really had Naruto concerned was his teacher's trembling body. Worried, he stepped forward.

"**Iruka-sensei, what is-**" He stopped before speaking once more. "**The hell is wrong with my voice?!**" He uttered, reaching up to his throat. He rubbed it soothingly before taking another step towards Iruka, whom scuttled away from him. Distraught, he reached out to Iruka. "**Why are... **_**y-you**_**...**" He ended, whispering the last words. The hand, _his hand_, was no longer as it once was; Sharp claws extending half an inch from the tips of his digits. His skin was no longer visible, replaced with a luscious coat of rustic-gold fur.

Naruto's breathing quickened. '_No..._' He shakily brought up his hands to his face; It no longer felt _human_. A muzzle similar to that of a dog, _or fox_, dominated his face, how he didn't see it before was beyond him. His heartbeat rose. '_This can't be real.._.' He reached up to where his ears normally were and, again, found them to have been replaced with... _something else_. narrow, foxy ears 1½-feet in length had replaced his small human set. His body felt numb. '_T-this is IMPOSSIBLE..._' He slowly, jerkily turned his head to look to his rear, only to be met by the sight of nine lithe, mesmerizing 9-foot long tails spasmodically shifting behind his body. Naruto snapped. "**Waah... AAAH... AAAUUUGGGHHH!" **He screamed, now revealed to all the world to be the Kyuubi no Yoko.

* * *

**And here be the end of this chapter and my initial release! Was a doozy to write, but finally got it done just after midnight here. So, how did I do? What could I do to make this better? Review and let this humble author know your thoughts!**

**FYI: I am looking for betas to help with story flow/development, possible jutsu, character development, and generally keeping the story believable. Any and all help will be appreciated!**

******EDIT: Some minor grammar changes.**


	5. Chapter 5

Released: August 19, 2012. (will be using this to help guesstimate update times for people)

Written: August 18-19, 2012.

Edited: September 22, 2012. (Version 1.6)

**Just to let everyone know: 1. I will explain his transformation soon, and: 2. THIS WILL NOT BE A FURRY FIC! He will change his physical appearance, but in due time. I gotta squeeze some drama outta him somehow!**

"Talking/Jutsu"

"_Whispering_"

'_Thinking'_

"Text in a book"

"**Demon/Summon talking**"

"_**Demon/Summon whispering**_"

**'_Demon/Summon thinking'_**

(Not exactly proper grammar, but helps discern what-is-what when reading)

_FYI: My stories shall all be rated "M" for safety's sake. I nor FanFiction are, in any way, responsible for what **you** choose to read. (cussing, violence, dark matter, etc... all the tasty bits that make up stories will be in my stories. As such; if you're under 18, your funeral if you get caught n00b.)_

Disclaimer: I will make it clear that I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, settings, and techniques save my own creations. If anyone spots a problem in my story that goes against this do please let me know so that I may correct the issue.(I may mistakenly take and use techniques, scenarios, or items created by other authors without giving them due credit. It is not that I don't want to credit them, but more because my memory is shit.)

* * *

**Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil**

'_HOW COULD THIS BE!?_' Naruto mentally screamed. He was huddled in a fetal-position on the ground, shaking violently. '_… This must be a dream... Yes! This has to be a dream... just a bad dream..._' He thought, tears clouding his vision and matting the fur near his slitted, ocean-blue eyes. Chakra began to bubble and form around him, ripping off the majority of his jumpsuit and surrounding his Kyuubified body in an ethereal, light-purple veil.

Mizuki's shocked state began to give way to something else, something... _insane_; His wide eyes stayed the same, but became notably blood-shot. His slack-jawed expression of surprise changed to a demented grin of malice. His paled skin lightened somewhat, but he still appeared ill had no-one known what he had just witnessed. He began to chuckle darkly, but that too gave way to full-blown, psychotic laughter. He spoke to Naruto, his tone higher in pitch than it had been before the transformation.

"I thought that seal was hiding something about you; Slitted eyes, pointed ears... Hell, maybe even some of the fox's tails, but THIS?! I never gave much credence to what those idiot villagers said about you, but for once they were actually right! YOU REALLY ARE THE FUCKING KYUUBI!" He began cackling again, filling the clearing with his shrill laughter.

* * *

Iruka stared at Naruto, gripped in terror. His thoughts were closely mirroring Naruto's while also dredging up long-buried memories from his past, or more specifically _one_ day in his past. '_How could this be?_' He thought, staring at the huddled and quivering mass of fur a few meters away from him. '_His body looks exactly like __**its**__ body..._' He noted, fearfully looking-over Naruto's new form closely. While his body was much, _much_ smaller, every detail was almost exactly the same; The hands that he had seen rip Jonin to shreds were now covering _its_ face. The tails that had cut swathes of destruction through the residential sectors of the village were now closely embracing _his_ body, as if to ward off the world. But there was one difference, _only_ one physical difference between the Demon he saw all those years ago and this... _creature_ before him; The eyes. Back then they had been a crimson-red hue, blood-lust emanating from their unnerving gaze. These eyes were deep blue in color, slit pupils dilating at a rapid pace, eyes like... like... _That Boy's_. '..._I know what must be done_' he thought, steeling himself for the task at-hand.

* * *

Naruto was brought back to the real world from the storm despairing thoughts by Mizuki's cruel voice. "So, you've finally gotten over your shock, eh?"

Naruto glanced up to see who he was speaking to. He saw Mizuki looking to his left. Naruto followed his gaze to find Iruka struggling back to his feet. Once certain of his balance, he began shuffling towards Naruto, a trembling hand holding a blood-soaked kunai. Whether the shaking be from fear, rage, or from his previous injuries Naruto did not know. He could not get a read off of Iruka's face for it was hidden by an ominous shadow. He tried to crawl away, his back to the ground and dragging the multitude of tails along his path of escape, but the scarred Chunin kept up with him, his crimson-hued kunai gleaming in the moonlight. Mizuki was pacing off to the side, watching the unfolding events with a mixture of glee and growing annoyance.

"Hurry up, _Iruka_! Finish the Kyuubi off! TAKE VEANGANCE AGAINST THE DEMON THAT STOLE THE LIVES OF THOSE YOU HELD DEAR!" He finally roared, goading the wounded man into killing the kyuubified blonde. '_With this I don't have to dirty my hands with demon taint. After he gets finished with the Kyuubi, I'll... __**arrange**__ a meeting between Iruka and his parents!_' He mused.

Naruto, while still trying in vain to crawl away from his bloodied teacher, suddenly felt his back pressed against a tree. With nowhere left to go, he watched as Iruka took the last three steps before standing in front of him, his appearance nothing more than an humanoid outline on the forest's backdrop. The Academy teacher then brought up the kunai in such a way to produce a horizontal slash; His right hand gripping the kunai above his left shoulder, ready to lash out.

Naruto had lost all hope, instead accepting his fate. '_At least I can now rest in eternal peace..._' He thought, closing his eyes and giving what he hoped to appear to be a gentle smile to Iruka.* At this Naruto's would-be killer paused, his frame trembling in the night. Mizuki's patience, at this point, ran out. "Dammit, Iruka, you are taking too long! Get out of the way!" He yelled out, rushing towards Naruto. The boy sat still, waiting for his end to come.

Naruto had expected many things; A short burst of pain, then nothing. A searing sensation throughout his body before it, too, faded away. What he had not expected was to hear the pained cursing of Mizuki. He opened his eyes to a sight he could not have imagined mere moments ago; Iruka was standing protectively over Naruto, arm outstretched towards Mizuki whom was pulling a kunai from his left shoulder. "THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, IRUKA!?" Mizuki yelled, clutching his bleeding shoulder in pain. "I am protecting my precious student, just as I should be doing." Iruka replied, shakily pulling a shuriken from the holder strapped to his thigh.

Mizuki dubiously stared at his former colleague. "... Are you blind or something? Can you not see that you are protecting that _Demon_, the very one that crushed your parents?!" he questioned, pointing an accusing finger at Naruto.

Iruka shook his head. "He is not the Demon. While he may no longer look like it, he is still Naruto Uzumaki; A resident of Konoha and someone I hold dear!" he said, determination saturating his voice and seemingly empowering his body.

Behind him, Naruto was again crying, this time tears of joy. Meanwhile, Mizuki held a disgusted grimace on his face. "... You know, I was going to leave you for last, but now... I think I'll kill you first." He sneered, pulling four shuriken from his holder.

Iruka got into a defensive stance just as Mizuki threw the shuriken. He blocked the first three shuriken, the clanging of metal-on-metal echoing through the woods. The last shuriken, however, dug deep into his hand, knocking the shuriken from his grip. Mizuki, who was using the shurikens to cover his advance, grinned in triumph. He jumped at Iruka, holding his spinning Hell Shuriken to his side. "THIS IS THE END!" He shouted, bringing the Hell Shuriken down upon Iruka. '_So, this is how it ends..._' the brown-haired Chunin thought, watching as his death approached.

Moments before Mizuki ripped Iruka to shreds, a gold blur rushed in and knocked the traitor back with enough force to knock him into a nearby tree. Iruka, shocked by his sudden change of fate, looked to his savior. "Naruto!"

The Kyuubi boy glanced back to Iruka before resting his gaze back upon Mizuki. He spoke, his voice like that of venom. "**If you lay another wound on Iruka-sensei... I'LL KILL YOU!**"

Mizuki, taking the time during Naruto's monologue to get back to his feet, smirked. "Is that a threat, _Demon_?" He asked, staring daggers at Naruto. "**No, that's a promise...**" He replied.

Mizuki barked a laugh. "_YOU_? Kill _ME_?! you're _more _than welcome to try, Little Fox!" He shouted, getting into a combat stance.

Naruto grinned, his canines gleaming in the night. "**A****sk, and you shall receive!**" He formed his hands into a cross seal. "**KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!**" He shouted. Smoke once again filled the clearing. Once it had dissipated, Mizuki found himself surrounded by tens, _hundreds_, maybe even **thousands** of Shadow Clones. He panicked. '_How? When did he..._' He thought, quickly swiveling his head back-and-forth until realization hit him like a sack of bricks. '_The Scroll!_'

Naruto leisurely waved his arm towards Mizuki. "**GO!**" He commanded. "**HAI!**" The clones chorused.

For a brief few minutes in Konaha, the night was filled with the shrill screams of pain and terror.

When the clones poofed away in clouds of smoke, Mizuki was lying on the ground, bloodied and disfigured. Naruto looked to Iruka, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrasment. "**Heh, I think I may have overdone it a little bit...**" Iruka smirked at the understatement. He motioned to Naruto. "Naruto come here. I hav-" "That was an exemplary performance, Naruto, Iruka." Sarutobi spoke, walking out from the shadow of a tree. "**Ji**-kage-Sama!" they both spoke in surprise, tangling their words together. The Hokage walked over to Mizuki's broken body and crouched down, putting a finger to his neck. '_He is dead._' Sarutobi thought. He glanced over to the Kyuubified boy. '_Naruto is not showing any of the signs of those who have made their first kill... __He must not have realized that he killed Mizuki. Probably best that he doesn't know..._' The aged Hokage mused. He got back up and strode over to Naruto and Iruka. The scarred teacher was the first to speak.

"Is Mizuki alive?" He asked. Sarutobi looked to him, puffing on his pipe. "Yes, he is still alive." He answered. Iruka, however, noted the tone of his voice. '_Mizuki must be dead._ _Hokage-sama must not want Naruto to know..._' He thought. Naruto finally jumped into the conversation, "**Good, I hope he has a stomach for hospital food because that's all he is going to be eating for a LONG time... So, what are you going to do with him, Jiji?**" He finished. Iruka was about to admonish him for being disrespectful when Sarutobi waved him off. "ANBU will take care of him, but for now we have to worry about you, Naruto. That chakra you were exuding has more then likely alerted my search teams; if they saw you, they would probably try to kill you! Come, I'll use what brought me here to take us back to my office..."

Sarutobi glanced off into the forest before ushering the other two to follow him; They complied. They made their way to a stone jutting out of the ground not far from the clearing. "Grab onto me." The Hokage commanded. Naruto grabbed his left hand while Iruka placed his grip onto the village leader's right shoulder. With his free hand, Sarutobi placed his palm onto the stone surface before channeling chakra through it. The spot he touched soon glowed and spread out, forming a latticework of arcane seals across the rock. "ONE!" He spoke, disappearing in a yellow flash, taking the other two along.

Not far away, in the general area that Sarutobi had glanced at moments before and mere moments after the group had teleported away, a fireball flashed out and struck Mizuki's corpse, leaving a pile of ash that soon blew away in the cool breeze.

* * *

**Shorter chapter, but meh. APPRECIATE IT, YE UNGRATEFUL MASSES! Until next update.**

**EDIT: Since some of you had to bitch about how short this chapter was, I added more to the story. If you can't read this only because the chapters are short, then I pity you; There are better reasons to stop reading a story than because the chapters are shorter than you would like...**

******^: Some minor grammar changes.**

*** So many damned 'to's...**


	6. Chapter 6

Released: August 24, 2012. (will be using this to help guesstimate update times for people)

Written: August 18-24, 2012.

Edited: September 22, 2012. (Version 1.3)

**I probably should have put up a warning about the slow story build-up in the summary when I started. I have corrected that issue. I will try to keep characters as close to their personalities as I can, but do keep in mind that I may deviate from that in some areas. Still in need of a Beta... have put out some PM's to people in the Beta pages, but thus far no soup.**

**This chapter will attempt to provide some insight into Naruto's condition. Also, he gets new threads! Unsure as to how well this chapter came out, but I hope you enjoy!**

"Talking/Jutsu"

"_Whispering_"

'_Thinking'_

"Text in a book"

"**Demon/Summon talking**"

"_**Demon/Summon whispering**_"

**'_Demon/Summon thinking'_**

(Not exactly proper grammar, but helps discern what-is-what when reading)

_FYI: My stories shall all be rated "M" for safety's sake. I nor FanFiction are, in any way, responsible for what **you** choose to read. (cussing, violence, dark matter, etc... all the tasty bits that make up stories will be in my stories. As such; if you're under 18, your funeral if you get caught n00b.)_

Disclaimer: I will make it clear that I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, settings, and techniques save my own creations. If anyone spots a problem in my story that goes against this do please let me know so that I may correct the issue.(I may mistakenly take and use techniques, scenarios, or items created by other authors without giving them due credit. It is not that I don't want to credit them, but more because my memory is shit.)

* * *

**Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil**

The three Shinobi suddenly found themselves in the middle of Sarutobi's Office. It was a spacious, if somewhat-spartan, room having only the Hokage's desk, a map of Konoha to the side of said desk, the Hokage's chair, two other chairs for guests, two couches on the sides, and two rather-plain bookcases further back near the heavy wooden door that lead into the room. What it lacked in material wealth it made up for with a grand view of the village.

Iruka and Naruto fell to the floor of the room, dry-heaving from the effects of the teleportation. Just as the two regained their composure, the Hokage spoke. "The two of you, I imagine, have many questions." Naruto was the first to speak up. "**That's an understatement! What did Mizuki do to me, why do I look like the Kyuubi of all things, Why aren't you flipping-out over my looks, and how in Kami's name did we get here?!**" He shouted, waving his arms in the air. He didn't notice his tails mimicking the movement of his two flailing appendages. Iruka stifled a chuckle. "I must agree with Naruto. What exactly is going on, Hokage-sama?" he voiced, looking disapprovingly upon Naruto's antics.

Filling his pipe with some tobacco, the Hokage closed his eyes deep in thought. He reopened them and spoke. "... Very well, I will start from the beginning. As you both know, The Kyuubi attacked thirteen years ago. What no-one in Naruto's age group knows is that while we did defeat the Kyuubi that night, we did not kill it. Such an act is simply impossible as the Biju are beings of pure chakra. The Yondaime, in a bid to end its warpath, decided that the only long-term way to protect Konoha was to bind the Kyuubi to a container. Unfortunately there is only one kind of container capable of imprisoning a being of such power."

"**Lemme guess; A Human container.**" Said Naruto.

Sarutobi nodded, taking a puff from his pipe. "Correct. On that date, he chose a newly-born infant; The _only_ infant to be berthed on that dreadful night. That child was you, Naruto."

Naruto nodded his head but confusion, or what could be assumed to be confusion, overrode his foxy features. "**If he chose me as a human container of the Kyuubi, then why don't I look **_**human**_**?**" He asked.

Sarutobi sighed. "I really wish I could fully answer that question. When I first found you, you were being held by the Yondaime; Just as human as Iruka and I. That, however, changed within moments."

The other two in the room were aptly paying close attention to the Hokage's explanation of events. Iruka decided to speak up, raising his hand like one of his own students to gain the Hokages permission to speak. The Hokage nodded to the Chunin. "What, exactly, do you mean, Hokage-sama? Not to sound disrespectful, but how could you not know what happened to Naruto if you were standing right next to him?"

Naruto nodded in agreement. "**Iruka is right! What's up with that, Jiji?**"

The Hokage gazed at the two before him and shook his head. "That's just the thing; I have _never_ seen anything like this happen before. It didn't help that the residual chakra from the fighting made reading any of the changes being made impossible."

"Surely there was a way to-" "Stop!" Sarutobi spoke, silencing Iruka. After saying this, Sarutobi took a breathe and let out a long sigh.

"As much as I would like to continue debating such details, we are getting off-track. As I said, you were human when I first saw you, but that soon changed. You were quickly covered in a cloak of chakra, screeching like no day-old child should. It continued like this for some time with you wailing like a stuck pig. When it finally came to an end, both the glow of the cloak and your screaming, I was greeted with the new you. After a few moments, I took you back to this very room and locked it out from the village save for my most-trusted ANBU. I eventually was able to contact... _a Seal Master_ to hide your features."

Naruto pondered upon all he had been told until a disturbing thought struck him. He shakily looked up to Sarutobi. "**If this is true... t-then did you think about... k-killing me?**" He stuttered out, his ears folded back upon his head.

Sarutobi glanced over to Naruto, grimacing at a painful memory. "I will not lie to you, Naruto. I did think about doing it when I first saw you as you are now... killing you..."

Iruka shakily stood up, enraged. "SARUTOBI-SAMA! How could you think of doing such a thing!?" He hissed out, wincing in pain from the sudden exertion on his wounded body.

Sarutobi quickly looked over to Iruka, his voice as hard as steel. "When we get done here, you are immediately going to the hospital. Am I understood?" Iruka nodded. Sarutobi's voice softened. "Good. As for your question... Iruka, what did you feel when you first saw Naruto... the _REAL _Naruto, I mean?"

Iruka grimaced. "I..._I..._" He ended, shamefully looking away from both Naruto and Sarutobi. The withered Hokage was unrelenting. "You were going to kill him, were you not? You thought that, because he looked like the Kyuubi, he must _be _the Kyuubi, is that not so?" Iruka twitched at each accusation, but he eventually, shakily, nodded in agreement. "So what stopped you, Iruka? What kept you from plunging a kunai into Naruto's heart?" inquired Sarutobi. Iruka looked back to the other two to be met by their curious stares. He sighed. "I stopped for two reasons: His eyes were not the depraved eyes of the Demon from _that_ night, but were instead the innocent eyes of _my_ student. When I was about to cut him down he, instead of fighting back, seemed to accept his fate; Welcomed it, even. The Kyuubi, from what little I know, would have _never_ acted like that!" He finished.

Sarutobi grinned, taking yet another puff from his pipe. "Then you and I have come to the same conclusion; Naruto is _not_ the Kyuubi, he only shares its physical appearance. I will admit; I was scared when I first saw him, but that changed quickly. The most threatening thing you did, Naruto, was flail your arms about and cry." Sarutobi looked over the Kyuubified boy. "Does this also answer your earlier questions, Naruto?" Said boy took a couple moments before nodding "**Hai.**" '_On the most part..._' He thought.

Sarutobi leaned back into his chair. "As for how we got here, the Yondaime set up a teleportation grid in and around Konaha. He had created it just before mastering the Hiraishin no Jutsu. After mastering his technique, he decided it would be best to keep the grid in-place for future generations to use." The third Hokage rose from his chair and walked over to the city map. "This grid has become a vital part of our city defenses. As such, I ask you to not speak of it to _anyone_. Could you do that for me?"

Both Iruka and Naruto understood the masked order. "H**AI!**" They chorused, again blending their words together. The Hokage chuckled. "If you two keep speaking like that, I'll have to think you're both of one mind!" His chuckles turned to uproarious laughter upon hearing their sputtering denials.

After he had reined in his jovial laughter, Sarutobi sat back down and steepled his hands together. "It pains me to ask this of you, Naruto, but I'll need you to cover up your appearance for now; I can't have you scaring clients away."

Naruto adopted a look of confusion. '_If I keep up with this, I'll look confused for the rest of my life!_' He thought. "**What do you mean? I've failed the exam. I can't-**" "Oh?" Voiced Sarutobi, stopping Naruto dead in his tracks while perking Iruka's curiosity. The Hokage opened a drawer in his desk and, grinning, brought out a scroll. "After all of the trouble I went through to have these made for a moment such as this, especially now after that show you pulled-off earlier? I think not!" He unrolled the scroll and, after nicking his thumb with his teeth, wiped blood across the parchment. He then placed his palm onto the seal in the scroll and pushed chakra into it. Smoke exploded from the seal.

"You had _better_ like these, Naruto; They were _not_ cheap..." Voiced Sarutobi through the smoke as it dissipated. When Naruto caught sight of the scroll's contents, he was unsure as whether to hug the old man or to hit him for his poor fashion sense. "**The hell are these?! a full-head mask and... OK, at least the trench coat is cool...**" Naruto appraised the articles of clothes before spotting something similar to a certain article of green spandex he remembered from one of his nightmares.

"**Is... is that a black... full-body Ninja suit... and the hell do I need all of these belts, socks, and pads for?!**" Naruto said, pointing approvingly to the deep-red jacket, the left sleeve cut off at the elbow, while while staring suspiciously at the full-body suit. "I had these specially-created just for you. While I hoped you would never need these... nothing goes as planned..." Sarutobi's face contorted into a frown before he resumed speaking. "These clothes have special seals placed on them, mostly meant to hide your features from prying eyes. I would have gone with another choice but... with your skills at stealth, I felt that you would be more appreciative of these clothes and colors over anything else."

Thirty minutes, and much tussling and shouting later, Naruto was wearing his new clothes. The whole outfit felt too tight to him. He begrudgingly wore the Ninja suit (which reminded him heavily of those 'wet suits' he had read about in a magazine), heavily-wrapped in the darkly-colored belts and buckles to keep it from moving around too much. Knee and elbow pads were fixed to his joints. Over the Ninja suit he wore black combat boots that reached half-way up to his knees. Ninja gloves hid his clawed-hands from sight, they too held in place with a belt per glove. Each of his nine fox tails were individually sheathed in a black, elongated sock.

Over all of this he wore the red trench coat. It had a large, 3-inch-high collar that hid his neck and five coattails, three on the front and two on the back. '_The hell are these? Half-belts?_' Naruto first thought when he saw the four leather strips, two per side, that were attached to the center-most coattail and snaked around his waist to the back of the jacket*. Completing the attire was his new, elongated mask. It fit perfectly over his head and, surprisingly enough (-cough cough-), hid both his muzzle and ears entirely. It was pretty plain; Two eye-holes slightly larger than his slitted orbs and two vertical lines that bisected the holes through their centers.**

"**Alright, you hid my body, but everyone can still pretty-much see my damned face, tails, and hear my voice... and now that I think about it, how will I stay cool or eat food without revealing myself?**" Said Naruto, flexing his body to try to break-in his new clothing. Sarutobi shook his head before speaking. "You shouldn't have to worry about getting hot. The clothes are quite heat-resistant. Anyway, flow some of your chakra into your clothes." Naruto looked at his Jiji. **"... So, how do I do that?**" He asked. Both Iruka and Sarutobi sweat-dropped. "You learned how to perform something similar to this in the Academy..." Naruto took-up a thinking pose before a light bulb flashed above his head. '_Does he know some Genjutsu?_' Thought both Iruka and Sarutobi. "**Aha! So I did!**" The heavily-wrapped boy said, bopping a fist into his open palm while causing the other two in the room to face-fault.

Naruto formed a hand-seal to help control the flow of chakra into his new outfit. As he did this, he saw the surprised look on Iruka's face and a smirk form on Sarutobi's lips. _'Odd. I don't feel any differences from before._' He thought. He spoke, voicing his concern. "Jiji, I don-" He stopped upon hearing his old voice return. "What exactly does this mask do, Jiji?" He asked. "The mask has two sets of seals while the gloves and socks only have one. These seals, when they have chakra flowing through them, alter the shape of the mask, socks, and gloves using space-time techniques along with altering your voice. Don't ask me how they were made; I know little about Fuinjutsu."

Naruto ran his hand across the front of the mask. He felt a tingling sensation across where his hand would be going _through_ his muzzle. "This... feels really weird." "The _maker_ of the mask said that would happen. Your... mouth... is still there along with your tails, but also not thanks to the space-time seals. It's... too complex for me to really explain." Said Sarutobi, trying to sooth his aching head with his fingertips. "That's alright, Jiji. I understand... _I think..._" Said Naruto, waving away Sarutobi's unsaid apology. Silence fell over the room until Naruto decided to break it.

"So... What now?" He asked. Sarutobi looked to Iruka, whom nodded in understanding. "Well, I think we got what we all wanted out of this evening. With your permission, Hokage-Sama?" "Of course. I will call-off the search parties. I look forward to your future successes, Naruto." Sarutobi said, nodding to the other two. As they left the room, he couldn't help but feel he left something out from their conversation. '_I left something rather important out... but what?_' He mused. He got up from his seat and wandered over to one of the windows looking over Konoha. "No matter, I'm sure I'll remember it soon enough..." He muttered, watching his village slumber the night away in peace.

* * *

Naruto sat down into his bed, exhausted from the night's events. '_… I've got to rethink my life._' He thought, sinking into the comfortable embrace of his creaky bed. '_With this body of mine... everything has changed...' _Were Naruto's last thoughts before the dark embrace of sleep overtook him.

* * *

**Oh boy, I can only wonder _what_ Sarutobi forgot that was so important! Sorry about taking so long to update, but this chapter has taken much longer to write than I had thought it would; my mind was derping when it should have been herping. Anyway, you all know the drill; Read and Review!**

**EDIT: Forgot to hide Naruto's tails. Have taken care of that problem in a, hopefully, sensible manner.**

******^: Some minor grammar changes.**

***Just look up 'Vash the Stampede trench coat'.**

****Modified version of Tobi's head-mask from the 4th Shinobi World War.**


	7. Chapter 7

Released: August 30, 2012. (will be using this to help guesstimate update times for people)

Written: August 28-30, 2012.

Edited: September 22, 2012. (Version 1.2)

**Sorry about the delay, everyone. Would have began writing this chapter sooner, but I'm somewhat of a bum (there is little I can do to cure it) and was having a bad case of writer's block throughout the entire process of writing this chapter. Also edited the previous chapter to make better sense. Anyways, to respond to some reviews...**

**mellra: That totally slipped my mind! Thank you for bringing that up!**

**ZeldaFanDaen: I try my best!**

**Out of Pseudonyms: To be entirely honest, I didn't even think about that! Really glad you brought that up.**

**bolt: What could Sarutobi possibly have forgot...**

**Hrothgar Heavenlight: Thanks for your support, my Polish friend!**

**DemonAndAGun: It may have taken me 5 chapters to write the first manga chapter out, but I made it a sexy 5 chapters...**

**Now, onto the team assignments! I'll try to get the (true) Genin Test chapter out soon; must be mighty boring reading all of this with so very little in the way of action. Be warned, there will be character bashing that will fade away in time; just not immediately.**

"Talking/Jutsu"

"_Whispering_"

'_Thinking'_

"Text in a book"

"**Demon/Summon talking**"

"_**Demon/Summon whispering**_"

**'_Demon/Summon thinking'_**

(Not exactly proper grammar, but helps discern what-is-what when reading)

_FYI: My stories shall all be rated "M" for safety's sake. I nor FanFiction are, in any way, responsible for what **you** choose to read. (cussing, violence, dark matter, etc... all the tasty bits that make up stories will be in my stories. As such; if you're under 18, your funeral if you get caught n00b.)_

Disclaimer: I will make it clear that I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, settings, and techniques save my own creations. If anyone spots a problem in my story that goes against this do please let me know so that I may correct the issue.(I may mistakenly take and use techniques, scenarios, or items created by other authors without giving them due credit. It is not that I don't want to credit them, but more because my memory is shit.)

* * *

**Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil**

Naruto woke up the next morning to the sound of his alarm clock, still wearing his new clothing. As he got up from his bed (after thoroughly bashing his alarm), he felt like itching his body. '_Really should have got out of my clothes last night. I better go take a shower..._' he thought, idly scratching his back. As he got into the bathroom, he noticed he was still wearing his mask and that it had reverted to its elongated state. '_That isn't a good sign. If I'm on a long-term mission, how am I to keep my appearance __a secret when I try to sleep?... Should probably talk to Iruka when I get to the Academy, he might know __something._' He mused.

As Naruto painstakingly removed his clothes, he only now noticed the changes in his legs. '_… I have dog legs..._' He thought, crying exaggerated tears of sorrow. After taking a calming shower, drying his furred body off, and snickering at his puffed-up appearance, Naruto reclothed himself in his outfit, save for the mask, and made his way into the kitchen for his morning meal of Maruchan-brand instant ramen*. After cooking and quickly inhaling his breakfast, he donned his mask and made his way to the front door. Just as he began to turn the handle, an errant thought had him recall the ninja gear still in his room. '_Shit! I almost forgot my shuriken holster and supply pouch!_'

Naruto rushed back to his bedroom. After digging through the clutter strewn across the floor, he finally found what he was looking for. He attached the gear to the sides of his trench coat using the leather strips. He ran back to the front door and left for the Academy, applying chakra to his clothes and quickly henging into his unaltered form on the way out.

* * *

Iruka was having a shitty morning. He had gone to the hospital as the Hokage had told him to in order to get his wounds cleaned and dressed, but the staff thought it best if he were to stay for a week to heal. After getting his initial treatment, he snuck out of the hospital room the next morning before returning to his home for a fresh set of clothes. Now, hours after his little escape from the hospital, he was dealing with his unruly students.

"Tsuno Hamada?" Iruka's voice rang out. "Here!" A generic, brown-haired boy replied. Iruka put a check next to the name.

"Uchiha Sasuke?" "Hnn..." Grunted Sasuke, never once turning to look at Iruka. The Chunin put a check next to the name.

"Uzu-OI, KIBA, SHUT THE HELL UP!" Roared Iruka, using his Demon Head no Jutsu to enlarge his head to epic proportions. Kiba, a feral-looking, brown-haired boy with red triangular marks under his eyes, fell from his chair. "The hell, Iruka-Sensei!? I ain't doing nothin' over here!" Kiba yelled back, his puppy, Akamaru, peeking out from under his jacket. "THAT'S BULLSHIT AND YOU KNOW IT! Now get back to your seat and stay quite!" Iruka replied, pointing accusingly at his errant student while canceling his technique.

"Now that we've got that settled..." Iruka began, bringing his student list back up. "Uzumaki Naruto?" After hearing no reply (though much heated whispering and debate from his other students), he called out in a louder tone of voice. "Uzumaki Naruto?!" After, again hearing no reply, he brought up his list to 'X' off the boy's name when...

- CRASH! -

Iruka glanced down to the prone form of Naruto lying at his feet. The teen raised a shaky hand up, his head still planted in the trench his body made in the floor after plowing through the classroom's door.

"I'm here, Iruka-Sensei..."

Before Iruka could respond, Kiba shot up from his seat. "The hell are you doing here, Dobe!? Only those that passed the exam can be here!" Naruto jumped up and shot back a reply, cutting-off Iruka's reprimand. "That's funny, I was under the impression that I did pass!"

Kiba smirked. "Ha! You really are an idiot! If you passed, why did you run crying out of the testing room yesterday? Heck, where is your Hitai-ate, loser?"

"He has a point, Naruto..." Iruka chipped in. Naruto looked over to the Chunin, wondering what he was up to. "You must have a Hitai-ate to be allowed in here..." Kiba struck a victorious pose, chest puffed out and smiling wickedly. "...Therefore, you can have mine. Try not to lose it!" Said Iruka, untying his headband and tossing it to a smiling Naruto. Kiba stood in his spot, gawking at Iruka and Naruto. Before the blonde boy could do anything with his gift, Iruka spoke up. "... Say, Naruto. Wouldn't it be a good idea to drop your henge before putting on your Hitai-ate?"

Naruto froze. He looked pleadingly to Iruka. "D-do you really think so, Iruka-sensei?!" The scarred Chunin nodded in affirmation. Naruto gulped. "OK, if you think so... Release!" He barked out, forming a seal with his hands and closing his eyes.

Smoke filled the classroom, causing some of Naruto's fellow students to cough and gag. Once the smoke cleared, they all gaped at the sight before them. The masked person in the front of the room was not the Naruto they knew. While many stared at his new choice in clothing, a few, such as Shikamaru and Sasuke, were taking in his overall appearance and were among the first to notice some of Naruto's more extreme changes. Hinata attempted to use her Byakugan to see through the layers of clothing, but it was of no use. '_I can't see past his clothes... Naruto-kun, what is so secret that you must hide yourself away under a veil of cloth and leather?..._'** She thought somberly.

Naruto opened his eyes to a dumbstruck classroom. "What's up with your legs?!" One of the students blurted out, perking the curiosity of his fellow classmates. Before Naruto could respond, Iruka answered for him. "It's a unique part of his Kekkei Genkai. Now why don't you put on your Hitai-ate and take a seat, Naruto?"

As he walked up the aisle to his seat, tying his forehead protector around his neck, Naruto heard his classmates whispering amongst each other. Some were complimentary:

"_He has a really nice jacket..._"

"_All those belts and buckles make him look badass!_"

"_He looks so mysterious now... How hot!_"

Some were neutral:

"_I wonder how he passed the test..._"

"_Was he under a henge the entire time he was here?_"

"_Troublesome..._"

While others were downright spiteful:

"_Look at his legs; What a freak!_"

"_Bet you anything he wears that mask to keep his monstrous face hidden..._"

"_Even with his new outfit, he'll never compare to Sasuke-kun!_"

The last comment was the only one Naruto paid attention to, as it had came from his crush, Haruno Sakura. She was a pink-haired, emerald-eyed girl that wore a red dress on most days. She was, in his opinion, one of the most beautiful girls in Konaha. There was another girl just as pretty, but she was... strange, to say the least.

As he took his seat, Iruka congratulated the new Genin and began reading-off the teams. Naruto thought over what Sakura had whispered about him, shutting-out Iruka's droning monologue. '_Does she really not think that much of me?... No way! She must be trying to convince herself that Sasuke is better than me! She has to be!_' His thoughts were derailed by Iruka's yelling.

"Naruto! Pay attention!... Next up, Team 7 will be comprised of: Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto..." Naruto jumped up in triumph while Sakura sunk into her seat."... And Uchiha Sasuke. Your Jonin sensei will be Hatake Kakashi..." Sakura jumped from her seat, shouting how 'true love' conquers all, while Naruto slumped into his. Sasuke glanced over to Naruto. "Better not drag me down... Dobe." He hissed out. Naruto payed no heed to him or the rest of the team assignments, instead thinking about ways to find out what Sakura felt about him. His answer came when Iruka announced an hour-long break before they met their new sensei in order to mingle with their new teammates. Naruto looked over to Sasuke, smiling wickedly from ear-to-ear behind his mask.

* * *

Sakura sat on a bench in Konoha's city park, not more then a ten-minute walk from the Academy building. She was thinking about how she could finally snag her love-interest. '_… Think, Sakura, think!... I can't sway Sasuke-kun to me using my body... The only well-endowed part of me is my forehead... Damn Ino-pig and her big chest!_' She sighed in woe until a thought struck her. '_… I wonder if Sasuke-kun liked Naruto's jacket? Maybe I could..._' She grimaced. '_No... As soon as Naruto sees me, he'll ask me out on a date. With the way he-_' Her thoughts stopped when she noticed Sasuke leaning on a tree nearby, closely watching her.

Sakura blushed. '_No way! He's looking at me with... with..._' Her face turned beet-red. Sasuke pushed off of the tree and began walking to her. Instead of celebrating, she held her head in her hands, defeated. '_Who am I kidding. He probably just wants to talk about our team, I bet he'll-_' Sasuke stopped in front of her and spoke. "That dress looks lovely on you, Sakura; You look every-bit as graceful and beautiful as your namesake." Sakura could only stare at her crush. '_Please don't be a dream! Please don't wake up!_' "... At least, that's what Naruto would say." She slumped down in her seat.

Sasuke took the space next to her. With some hesitation, he spoke. "I'm curious, Sakura, what do you think of our other teammate, Naruto?" Sakura, for her part, never questioned Sasuke's sudden change in subject or demeanor. She frowned as she answered. "... He is an Idiot..." Sasuke grimaced, but Sakura continued without pause. "He's loud, obnoxious, and disrespectful. Between the two of us, he has pestered me for a date for as long as I can remember being in the Academy. He doesn't even know anything about me, yet he continues to embarrass me in front of everyone with his constant pleading!" Sasuke looked hurt, but she continued, oblivious to the pain of the boy next to her.

"Naruto ruins everything! He probably enjoys the torment that he puts me through... Hell, I couldn't stand him before today, but now that he dropped his disguise... He truly is a freak!" Sasuke froze in shock. "He probably looks hideous under those clothes, and his legs... don't even get me started! If anything, he is more beast than human! If I were to ever date him... I would _never_ find love or happiness!" Sasuke sat unmoving, a gentle breeze ruffling his hair and tears flowing freely down his devastated face. "The only person I could ever... l-love... is you, Sasu-" Sakaru finally noticed the effects her words had on Sasuke. "Um... Sasuke-kun, why are you-" As she reached out to caress her crush's face, smoke overtook the two.

Once the smoke had cleared, she was shocked to see who was in front of her. "N-Naruto?!" Naruto sat where Sasuke had been mere moments before, as motionless as a stone. Sakura felt her emotions go haywire when she finally deduced what he had done; shock, rage, sadness, then disgust. It was not the boy in front of her that she was disgusted by, but with herself. She brought her hands up to her mouth, still in shock from what had just happened between the two of them. "Naruto... I-I'm so s-sorry... I n-nev-" Her muffled apology was stopped by Naruto's upraised hand, his mask contorting strangely and wispy shadows waving behind him. He spoke, his voice but a whisper in the breeze. "_**STOP****... Just st**op__..._"

Sakura felt tears trickling down her cheeks. As Naruto made to leave, he spoke again, never once glancing back to the girl behind him. "... I'll never bother you again... Sakura... I'm sorry for all of the pain I've caused you..." As he walked away, Sakura couldn't help but feel that a part of her had died. Not even ten minutes later, Sasuke walked by, rubbing his arms in irritation from the ropes Naruto had bound him with earlier. He noticed the quaking form of Sakura lying on the bench. "You're gonna be late to class..." The girl looked up to see who was talking, her face moist from crying. Before she could think, she stood up and began babbling to Sasuke about all that had transpired between her an Naruto. As her story progressed, Sasuke felt his anger grow by leaps and bounds until he could contain it no more. "... Is that what you think of me as well?..." Sakura looked up to Sasuke, confused. "W-what do you mean? I-" "Am I nothing more than a freak in your eyes as well? A curiosity for you to play with before discarding?" Sakura was shocked; She had never, EVER thought of Sasuke in that way! "What?! I would never-" Sasuke cut her off mid-sentence. "Don't... I know _exactly_ what you think of me now; Lying won't help you..." She fell to her knees, bawling her heart out. "PLEASE BELIEVE ME, SASUKE-KUN! I-" "Sakura..." Said Sasuke, stopping mid-step as he was leaving for the Academy. Sakura looked up to her crush, a pleading look in her misery-stricken visage. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, nothing but contempt and loathing held in his eyes. "... You make me _sick_..."

As Sasuke receded into the distance, Sakura was held frozen where she kneeled. One thought, and only one thought, occupied her mind. '_... Oh Kami, what have I done?...'_

* * *

**BWAHAHAH! I'm an ass! That be the end of this chapter. Next chapter will be the team meeting Kakashi and some Hinata fluff ('cuz she is awesome!) and then Kakashi's test. R&R, my minions!**

***Maruchan Insta-noodles are amazing...**

****Not sure about the rest of you, but this sentence came out damned well!**

**EDIT: some spelling corrections and changed some words around + added some.**

******^: Some minor grammar changes.**


	8. Chapter 8

Released: September 8, 2012. (will be using this to help guesstimate update times for people)

Written: August 30 – September 8, 2012.

Edited: September 22, 2012. (Version 1.1)

**Just wanted to put this out there: if any of you see a typo or improper word usage, do please let me know (I hate the two with a blazing passion...). This chapter will cover Team 7's meeting with their Kakashi and Hinata being awesome ('cuz she is). R&R, please; This is how I get better with my writing!**

"Talking/Jutsu"

"_Whispering_"

'_Thinking'_

"Text in a book"

"**Demon/Summon talking**"

"_**Demon/Summon whispering**_"

**'_Demon/Summon thinking'_**

(Not exactly proper grammar, but helps discern what-is-what when reading)

_FYI: My stories shall all be rated "M" for safety's sake. I nor FanFiction are, in any way, responsible for what **you** choose to read. (cussing, violence, dark matter, etc... all the tasty bits that make up stories will be in my stories. As such; if you're under 18, your funeral if you get caught n00b.)_

Disclaimer: I will make it clear that I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, settings, and techniques save my own creations. If anyone spots a problem in my story that goes against this do please let me know so that I may correct the issue.(I may mistakenly take and use techniques, scenarios, or items created by other authors without giving them due credit. It is not that I don't want to credit them, but more because my memory is shit.)

* * *

**Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil**

Naruto returned to the Academy in a daze. So much had happened within the last twenty-four hour, Sakura's feelings for him being the latest addition to the list. Her words had cut him deeply, more than even he himself knew. '_I never once thought I was hurting her..._' He thought as he passed numerous doors in the hall leading to Iruka's classroom. Naruto opened the door to his class to see that he was not alone; A few students were still in their seats while Iruka was at this desk riffling through some papers. Iruka glanced up to see who had entered his class.

"Oh, Naruto! Your early..." He glanced up to the clock mounted next to the door. "Thirteen minutes too early!" He smiled at his student. "This has got to be some sort of record! You're normally late to class..." Iruka had hoped to get a rise out of Naruto, but the boy instead walked to and took his seat in class; The teen's shoulders were sagging, something which had not gone unnoticed by Iruka. '_I wonder why he is acting like this..._' He thought.

As the next thirteen minutes went by, the rest of the students trickled into class, a stoic Sasuke and a clearly-shaken Sakura amongst them. It was mere moments after the last of the students took to their seats that the first of the Jonin sensei appeared to take their charges.

"Team 3 is with me." One Jonin said, her head wrapped in bandages and a Ninjato strapped vertically to her back.

"Let's go, Team 6!" Bellowed another, his tattered green sleeveless trench coat hiding little of his musculature.

* * *

This trend continued for some time, a Jonin popping up to take their team away every couple of minutes, until the only team left was Team 7. Iruka, who had been watching his last three students with growing concern, decided to ask Naruto about it. "Naruto, can I talk with you for a moment?" He asked.

Naruto looked up and replied, his first words since re-entering the classroom. "Certainly."

Iruka led him into the testing room and closed the door before turning to the boy. "Naruto, what is going on between you three?" "I don't know what you mean." Responded Naruto, fiddling with his equipment pouch. "Please, Naruto, don't hide things from me; Sasuke is acting fairly normal, but Sakura keeps glancing back-and-forth between you two as if she is scared... Did you get into a fight with Sasuke during the break?" Naruto snapped his head to Iruka. "What?! No! I never got into a fight with Sasuke..."

Iruka place a hand onto Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto... Please tell me what is going on; I want to help you, but I can't do that if you don't let me." Naruto thought upon this and, taking a deep breath, decided it could be helpful to get someone else's opinion on what had happened. "Fine... What happened was-"

Naruto told his story to Iruka, not a detail left unsaid. Iruka listened to Naruto without comment throughout the telling of his tale. After it was clear the boy had no more to say, Iruka spoke. "While I am disappointed with how you went about learning Sakura's feelings for you, I'm sorry that she told you these things..." He gently hugged Naruto before releasing him. "... But, you know, sometimes people say things that they don't mean."

Naruto looked up to Iruka, confused. "What do you mean, Iruka-sensei?" Iruka sighed before lightly bopping Naruto on the head. "People say silly things for silly reasons; Some yell at to those they care for because they get worried about them. Some gossip behind other people's backs to gain the attention of those they like or to just vent some pent-up stress. Hell, some people say things without even realizing how they sound to others!" Iruka smiled. "So cheer up! I'm sure Sakura didn't really mean what she said; Probably was just trying to get Sasuke to talk to her."

This did not seem to lighten the mood for Naruto; Iruka sighed. "... Just give it a couple of days. I'm sure she'll come to you to apologize." Naruto grunted in response. Iruka figured that this was the most he would get out of the boy. "Alright, you're free to go. I'll see you around, Naruto."

As the teen made to leave, he remembered having meant to ask his teacher for something. "Umm, Iruka-sensei, can you answer a question for me?" Iruka smirked. "Depends on what the question is." "My mask... deactivated when I tried to sleep with it on. Is there a way to keep it active while sleeping?" Iruka took up a thinking pose.

"Hmm... I think what you could do is try to practice flowing chakra through your mask while meditating." Naruto spoke up. "How will meditating help?" He asked. "Meditation puts you in a trance-like state, similar in many ways to sleeping. Practicing chakra flow while meditating should eventually make such a thing second nature to you, just like breathing." Iruka responded, striking a lecturing pose.

Naruto thought upon his explanation before nodding. "I think I'll try that. Thank you, Iruka-sensei." Iruka smiled as he re-opened the door to the classroom. "Not a problem. Good luck with your team, Naruto!"

* * *

As Naruto walked back to his seat, he could not help but feel that what Iruka said of Sakura rang hollow. '_Looking back, now that I can see things a bit more clearly, she had already made it crystal-clear what she thought of me._' He thought, recollecting all of the times his face met her fist. He grimaced under his head mask. '_But... How could I have not noticed this sooner... unless..._' It struck him just like one of Sakura's female-wrath-empowered fists. '_Did I allow myself to become blind to everyone else's wants, needs, and feelings save my own?..._'

* * *

An hour-and-a-half later a man with silver, gravity-defying hair entered the room. He looked to the three and spoke tersely. "Meet me on the roof in five minutes." before any of the three Genin could speak up, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves. The three students made it to the roof with a minute to spare, the Jonin sitting on a bench facing towards them. "Take a seat, Team 7." He said; They promptly did just that.

"You all have most likely guessed that I'm Hatake Kakashi; You would be correct in that regard. Now that we have been put together as a team, why don't we introduce ourselves; Sharing our names, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams is good way to do just that." Sakura was the first to speak. "Why don't you give us an example, Sensei?" He hummed before answering.

"Very well... Hello, I'm Hatake Kakashi. I like many things. As for my dislikes... that's not for you to know. Hobbies... I don't feel like telling you. Dreams... hmm... haven't really thought about having any." His three students couldn't help but sweat-drop at his introduction. '_All we know is his name..._' They unanimously thought.

Kakashi waved a hand to Sakura. "Now that you all know what to do, why don't you go, Pinky?" She nodded before speaking. "Hello, my name is Haruno Sakura. My likes are..." She looked over to Sasuke, but instead of swooning or giggling, she looked saddened. "My hobbies... are..." Downcast. "... M-my... _dreams..._" Depressed. "And what of your dislikes, Sakura?" Kakashi asked. She glanced over to Naruto before quickly looking away along with bringing her knees up to her chest, a single tear trailing down her misery-stricken face. '_Interesting..._' The Jonin thought, looking between the two.

"You're up, Sir Broodsalot." Sasuke, a raven-haired boy who wore white shorts and a dark-blue shirt with his clan symbol emblazoned on its back, huffed in annoyance. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I like few things and dislike most everything. I don't have a dream so much as I do an _ambition_; I'll revive my clan... and kill a certain man..." Anger flashed through Sasuke's eyes before it disappeared. "My hobbies are training and meditation." Kakashi nodded in affirmation. '_So, he has chosen the path of the Avenger, just as the reports have said. I'll have to keep a close eye on him..._'

Throughout this entire process, Kakashi had been fairly laid-back and jovial, but when Naruto's turn came he turned cold and contemptuous. "... And you?" He asked, glaring at his last student. Naruto was unfazed, having dealt with such treatment his entire life. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, but everyone just calls me Naruto. My likes are ramen, learning new techniques, and..." He looked to Sakura. His hidden eyes lingered on her for a couple seconds before he looked away. When he spoke again, his voice was much softer in tone. "My dislikes and hobbies matter not. As for my dream... I believe I need to re-evaluate what my dream should be..." The other two Genin glanced over to Naruto, surprised by what he had said about himself, while Kakashi looked at the students sitting before him. '_Just great. I get a team that is the very embodiment of teen angst; the brooding Avenger, the despairing Princess, and the conflicted Demon..._'

"Alright." Voiced Kakashi. "Now that we have got our introductions out of the way, I believe now would be a good time to let you all go until tomorrow; After all, you'll need to be well-rested for what I have planned for the lot of you." "What are we doing tomorrow?" Naruto asked. Kakashi chuckled darkly. "... Are you sure you really want to know?" "What is that supposed to mean?!" Responded Naruto, curious as to what his new teacher was playing at. "Tomorrow, I test you three to see if you're truly worthy of being Genin." Naruto gave the Jonin an incredulous look, unseen by everyone thanks to his mask. "... But didn't we already do that with the Academy Test?" Kakashi looked at all three of the kids with dark amusement. "No, that test is to see if you're even _worthy_ of taking this test." The three to-be Genin could not help but feel a dark foreboding overcome them.

"This test is given directly by the team's new Jonin sensei to see if they are worthy of truly becoming Genin. Out of this year's class of twenty-seven students, only nine are expected to pass; The rest will be sent back to the Academy for extra training." Naruto began to sweat a little under his outfit while his two teammates paled slightly at the implications. "With all that said, I believe we are done for the day. We meet at Training Ground 3 at 7:00 in the morning. Don't be late... Oh, and don't eat breakfast; you'll only puke it back out." As the three began to leave, Kakashi's voice cut in from behind them. "Naruto, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Naruto's new teammates left; Sasuke walking at a brisk pace while Sakura shuffled away somberly. As the masked boy sat back down, Kakashi spoke once more. "... We both know what you are, and I am warning you now; If you do _anything_ to make me suspect you of conspiring to harm your teammates or Konaha, Kami help me I'll-" "Sensei..." Naruto began, stopping the Jonin in mid-rant. "While I do not blame you for your concern, I ask that you at least give me a chance to prove, to you, that I'm _not _what everyone believes me to be. Will you allow me that chance?"

Kakashi thought upon his student's words before he spoke. "... Very well, I'll give you a chance, but _only_ one chance; Don't make me regret this..." Naruto sighed in relief. "That's all I ask for. You _won't_ regret this."

* * *

Naruto was glad he left when he had. He could feel the mental barriers holding back the anguish from his life breaking down since meeting Sakura under a disguise earlier in the day. He ran to his apartment, afraid of what would happen if anyone saw him in such an vulnerable state. Naruto made it to the apartment building a couple of minutes later, throwing the door to his home open before slamming it behind him. He cast off his mask as he made his way to his bedroom. As soon as Naruto jumped into his bed, the floodgates opened...

* * *

Hinata was walking alone along a road near Naruto's apartment complex. Her new team had just been released for the day after their introductions. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel that something was off. '_Today was a good day; Naruto-kun didn't fail, my new teammates are pretty nice, and my Jonin sensei is Kurenai-sensei... So why is it that I feel something terrible will happen soon?..._' She thought. Moments later, she saw Naruto run across the street.

'_Naruto-kun!... But why is he..._' She felt dread overcome her and, acting on instinct, followed him. She made it to his apartment just as he slammed his front door. '_Why is Naruto-kun a-acting like this?_' She mused. After much mental debate, her concern and curiosity won-out over her reserved self along with the curfew her clan had imposed upon her. she walked up to his door and placed her ear to it. Hinata strained her hearing, but soon she heard _it_. '_… Crying? W-why is Naruto-kun c-crying... unless... Has he been h-h-hurt?!_' She timidly knocked on the door, but when he did not answer she knocked again. Hinata was beginning to panic.

'_What if Naruto-kun h-has been seriously h-hurt? If that w-were the case, it w-would explain why he __does not come to the d-door... But w-what if he just wants to be l-left alone... b-but... I have never seen Naruto-kun ever w-want to be left alone..._' Her mind made up and self-imposed duty made clear, Hinata made the bold move to timidly reach for the doorknob and open the door. '_… I'm g-going into N-Naruto-kun's home..._' She thought, blushing profusely.

As she began to creep her way towards the sound of crying, she spotted a ceramic mask-like object lying on the floor. '_Naruto-kun must have k-knocked that off of something in his r-rush... I didn't know he collected art p-pieces._' Hinata mused. She spotted a nail in the wall next to the door and hung the object onto it before driving deeper into Naruto's home.

With every step she made towards the sound of Naruto's sobbing, her heartbeat quickened. '_I-I-I'm g-g-going towards N-N-Naruto-kun's r-r-r-r-room..._' Hinata mentally stuttered, beet-red from the blood rushing to her face. She stopped at the door to his bedroom and peeked inside; it was dark, but not dark-enough for her to not make out the huddled form of Naruto weeping on his bed. Seeing him like this, Hinata summoned forth the courage to speak, albeit in a voice that was nothing but a whisper.

"_N-Naruto-kun... W-What is w-w-wrong?..._" She said. Hinata's words went unheard by Naruto. She spoke again, growing ever-more fearful. "_N-Naruto-kun... I -k-k-know not w-what is w-wrong, but p-please let me h-h-help y-you..._" Hinata's words were, again, unanswered by the boy before her. She shivered, fearful of all the possible pains he could be feeling. She debated with herself over what she could possibly do to find out what was wrong with Naruto when a bold thought took hold of her.

'_I-I-I-I-I..._' She stopped and took a deep breath before releasing it. '_I'll do whatever I must; For Naruto-kun's sake..._' Mind made up, Hinata shuffled into the room and, in a swift move she had only dreamed of doing, she reached out and grabbed Naruto by his leg.

* * *

The feeling of someone's hand wrapping around his ankle broke Naruto out of his misery; He froze-up. '_Who is in here with me?! How did they sneak up on me like this?!_' As he was thinking this, he lashed out with his other leg at the intruder and hid on the opposite side of the bed quickly planning his next move. Having heard his assailant fall over onto the floor, he jumped back over the bed and pinned the intruder under him. It was after a couple of moments, face-to-face, that he found out who had snuck into his home. "**H-Hinata?!**"

* * *

It took Hinata all of her willpower to keep from fainting. '_N-N-N-N-Naruto-k-k-kun i-i-is on t-t-top of m-m-me..._' She thought, shivering from a mixture of delight and fear. She opened her eyes when Naruto spoke her name to be met by his unmasked face. "N-N-Naruto-k-kun... I-is this w-why you h-hide yourself u-u-under a-all of those c-c-clothes?" He furrowed his brows in confusion. "**What ar-**" He cut off, having now remembered that he threw off his mask on his way to his bedroom. Naruto's situation could be summed up with one word. "**Shit...**"

* * *

Even in the darkened environment, Hinata could see Naruto's face quite well; His whiskered snout, elongated canines, long fox ears, slitted blue eyes, and lush fur were hard to miss. As she was taking in his new look, he spoke. "**Shit...**" Of all the things he imagined her doing at that moment, he never would have thought she would _giggle_ at his statement. Naruto looked down to her, surprised by her reaction. "**D-do you n-not fear me, H-H-Hinata?**" She looked up to him and smiled. "W-why s-should I? It's n-not in y-your nature t-t-to hurt others, N-Naruto-kun."

* * *

It was with those words that Naruto changed his opinion of Hinata; She was no longer the pretty, yet strange and timid, girl that sat in the back of the class. She was now the most beautiful girl in all the world.

* * *

**I think I'll stop there for this chapter. I'm unsure as to how well I presented the events in this chapter along with Hinata's personality. As I have said at the top of this chapter, please R&R so that I may: **

**- Improve on my faults.**

**- Get ideas for possible new story elements.**

**- Get a nice ego boost.**

**Next chapter will be Kakashi's test. Hopefully I can make it badass...**

******EDIT: Some minor grammar changes.**


	9. Chapter 9

Released: October 7, 2012. (will be using this to help guesstimate update times for people)

Written: September 21 – October 7, 2012.

Edited: October 7, 2012. (Version 1)

**Really, REALLY sorry for the long wait! Been trying to crank out this chapter, but began to feel burnt out; Thus one of the reasons for this late update and why my later updates for this story and Ghosts of the Past will be coming out at a MUCH slower pace. I hope this chapter will make up for lost time. **

**Made some edits to previous pages to line-up with the grammar used in this chapter.**

"Talking/Jutsu"

"_Whispering_"

'_Thinking'_

"Text in a book"

"**Demon/Summon talking**"

"_**Demon/Summon whispering**_"

**'_Demon/Summon thinking'_**

(Not exactly proper grammar, but helps discern what-is-what when reading)

_FYI: My stories shall all be rated "M" for safety's sake. I nor FanFiction are, in any way, responsible for what **you** choose to read. (cussing, violence, dark matter, etc... all the tasty bits that make up stories will be in my stories. As such; if you're under 18, your funeral if you get caught n00b.)_

Disclaimer: I will make it clear that I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, settings, and techniques save my own creations. If anyone spots a problem in my story that goes against this do please let me know so that I may correct the issue.(I may mistakenly take and use techniques, scenarios, or items created by other authors without giving them due credit. It is not that I don't want to credit them, but more because my memory is shit.)

**Kyuubi Revealed: The Shattered Veil**

* * *

Sakura woke up groggily; She had slept terribly the night before. She couldn't stop thinking of what had happened the other day. '_Why did I have to say such mean things about Naruto? Sure, he is annoying as all hell, but did I really need to call him a freak?... and why did Sasuke-kun lash-out like that? I can't remember the last time I saw him that angry..._' She rubbed her temples to clear her mind. After she had showered and dressed for the day, she went into the kitchen to get some food. As she opened the fridge to find a salad, she remembered her new sensei's words from the other day. '_Kakashi-_s_ensei probably has good reasons for keeping us from eating..._' She thought, sighing as she closed the fridge. Sakura packed her ninja gear she thought she would likely be using for the day before, after bidding her parents a good day, she left for Training Ground 3.

* * *

Naruto woke up in a great mood, still bubbly from the previous night's events.

* * *

_Flashback..._

* * *

_After Hinata had told Naruto her reasoning for not fearing his unmasked self, he had a question that simply HAD to be asked. "**Hinata... by chance... d-do you... have you, in any way... wanted to b-be f-friends?**" Hinata looked up to him and, after a couple of seconds preparing herself to reveal one of her greatest secrets to her crush, she timidly nodded in affirmation. "Y-y-ye-y-yes..." She whispered out in a stutter. Naruto felt warmth travel throughout his body, from the tips of his toes to the ends of his tails; It was an alien experience that he had felt only a scant few times in his short life, but one he found to be intoxicating. In one swift motion, he enveloped her in a hug. "**Thank you, Hinata-hime!... T-thank you so much!... *sniffle* You have no idea how much this means to me...**" Before Hinata's vision blacked-out from fainting, she smiled with only one thought on her mind. 'Thank you, Naruto-kun... You have no idea how much you mean to me...'_

* * *

End Flashback...

* * *

When Hinata had fainted, as red as a cherry, Naruto panicked thinking he had hugged her too tightly. However, upon seeing her contented smile in the darkness of his room, he began to think that, perhaps, there was another reason for her fainting. Figuring he could ask her about it later, Naruto picked her up, bridal-style, and carried her towards his front door. After donning his mask and running chakra through his clothes, he opened the door and carried her the rest of the way to the Hyuga Compound. Upon his arrival, a small tussle broke-out between himself and the compound guards whom had believed that he had harmed the clan heir in some way. It ended when Hyuga Hiashi himself came out to begin searching for the whereabouts of his missing daughter. Upon spotting her, he quickly extracted her from Naruto's arms and, after giving the boy a withering look, returned to the compound with his still-unconscious daughter.

Now, many hours after taking Hinata back home the previous night, Naruto could not stop thinking about his new friend. '_I wonder what she is doing right now... Training?... Eating?... Bah, I'll just have to talk to her later and find out!_'

* * *

As she was packing for today's test with Kurenai, Hinata sneezed/eeped. She blushed a deep scarlet-red. '_Maybe... Maybe Naruto-kun is t-thinking about m-me..._' She pondered, her mood lifting from the mere thought of her crush.

* * *

Naruto took his daily shower in lukewarm water and, again, snickered at his poofy appearance after drying. '_That just never gets old..._' He thought as he watched his puffed-up tails wave lazily behind him. A moment of crushing despair overwhelmed him as he gazed upon his animalistic body before he reigned it in, remembering Hinata's kind words from the previous night. After he had dressed in his freshly-cleaned clothing, he went to the kitchen to prepare some food before remembering his sensei's warning from the other day. "_**Damn, and I was looking forward to having ramen for breakfast...**_" He muttered, all-the-while mentally cursing Kakashi. Naruto thought about eating the unhealthy food of the gods despite the Jonin's warning but decided, in the end, to listen to the more-experienced ninja's advice. He quickly donned his gear, mask, and tail guards. '_Calling them 'socks' all the time just sounds silly..._' He thought as he opened the front door of his apartment.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke, one of the two last Uchihas, arrived at Training Ground 3 to find that he was the first to arrive. '_Figures..._' He thought as he made to sit at the base of a tree. '_I never expected those two fools to be on-time; They were nothing more than hindrances in the Academy. As for our "teacher"..._' He cautiously glanced around the clearing, searching for any trace of his mysterious teacher. '_… He is either gauging our abilities by hiding in the trees and watching us before playing late when he "arrives"... or he truly is incompetent._'

It was not many minutes after sitting down that Sasuke spied Sakura walking across the bridge that led into Training Ground 3. He huffed in annoyance. '_Damned pest; I still can't believe I had to act like I actually cared about her feelings for me the other day... But why did I even waste my time snapping at her like I did in the first place?..._' Sakura sat down at the end of the bridge, trying her best not to look towards her crush, while Sasuke mulled over the possible reasoning behind his earlier actions.

Another 30 minutes passed before Naruto appeared, a slight skip in his step. Sasuke glanced up before losing interest. Sakura, on the other hand, kept a watchful eye on him as soon as he appeared. Naruto sat down opposite of Sakura, humming a tune to himself. The three Genin sat like this for another hour before Sakura stood up. She took a deep breath before walking over and sitting next to Naruto. After a minute or two of silence, she spoke.

"Naruto..." Said boy turned to look at her. "... I'll understand if you hate me now; I know I would if I were in your position. I guess... What I mean to say is-" "Yo!"

Sasuke glared at the Jonin, irritated by his late arrival, while Sakura sighed, having been cut-off from apologizing to the fox boy (not that she knew that little piece of information). Naruto, on the other hand, was more vocal about his displeasure with the late-arrival. "You're late!" He shouted, pointing at the Jonin. Kakashi ignored him while he looked-over his other two students. "Alright! Gather around so I can brief you all about the test." His three students took seats on the grass before him. As they were doing that, Kakashi pulled out two bells from his pouch. Before he could begin briefing his team about his test, Naruto spoke up. "What are those two bells for, Kakashi-sensei?" Said Jonin gave the Kyuubi Child a hateful glare. "Perhaps if you were more patient and allowed me to speak you would find out?" Naruto glared at his teacher behind his mask before turning away, huffing in annoyance. The boy's two teammates were surprised by the harshness in their new teacher's words.

"Alright, the purpose of today's test is... to take these bells from me!" The three students gave Kakashi a dubious look. "... But there are only two bells..." Kakashi eye-smiled. "How observant of you all! Whomever does not steal a bell from me..." Kakashi turned around and pulled out two boxed lunches from seemingly thin-air. "... Does not get to eat lunch!" The three Genin felt their stomachs growl in hunger. '_So that's why he didn't have us eat..._' The Jonin spoke once more, regaining the attention and the ever-subtle ire of his three students. "... Also, whomever does not get a bell will be sent back to the Academy for another year of training." Silence fell over Team 7.

"Now, before we begin, I must let you know that if you wish to have any chance of taking a bell from me you must come at me with the intent to kill." His three students, who were standing at this point, had varied reactions to this piece of information; Sasuke smirked, Sakura looked uncomfortable, and Naruto... seemed indifferent thanks to his mask. "When I say 'go', the test will begin. Are there any questions?" Seeing nor hearing a response from his students, he continued. "Alright then, in: 3... 2-" Suddenly, Naruto pulled out a kunai and rushed towards Kakashi, intending to stab the Jonin. In the blink of an eye, before his teammates could react, Kakashi was behind Naruto, holding the boy's kunai to the side of said-owner's head. "Mah, mah. I haven't said go yet..." He leaned in towards Naruto before whispering into his ear. "... _Demon_." Naruto turned his head, ever so slightly, to look at his captor. "You said to come at you with the intent to kill; I doubt enemy ninja will wait for a countdown before attacking you, _sensei_." Kakashi narrowed his normally bored-looking eyes. '_He didn't let himself __be affected by my verbal barb... I'll just have to try harder._'

He chuckled. "Well, at least I now know who is most likely to fail this test." Naruto ground his teeth in anger and growled in response. "Now, let's try this again; In 3..." Sasuke widened his stance, prepared to flee in any direction. "... 2..." Sakura readied herself, her hand hidden in the pouch strapped to her waist. "... 1..." Kakashi removed the kunai that he was holding dangerously close to Naruto's head before forcefully pushing said Genin away. "... GO!" His three students ran off into the woods, Naruto stumbling a bit to keep from falling after being shoved away by Kakashi. "... I suppose I'll give them a head-start... Half-expected Pinky to rush at me with the way she was digging through that pouch of hers..." The Jonin mused as he pulled out his favorite book, speaking for his own benefit.

* * *

Naruto ran through the forest, thinking about how best to acquire Kakashi's bells. '_… How does a Jonin think that we mere Genin will be able to take him on or even get close enough to get those bells of his?..._' He stopped behind a thicket of bushes to think more about the current situation. '_… There is no way I can get close to that bastard and I can't even imagine my supposed teammates doing so... unless... we team... together..._' Naruto frowned at the thought of his two team members. '_Sakura is out from that plan; She would rather die than ever work with me. Sasuke... He might work with me if it were for his own gain..._' As much as Naruto loathed the idea of working with his rival, Sasuke would possibly join him if he explained the benefits of teaming together against the Jonin. His mind set, Naruto set out to find his raven-haired teammate, thinking of what to say to sway his rival towards cooperation against the Jonin.

* * *

It was only after a couple of minutes of searching did Naruto find Sasuke confronting Kakashi in a clearing; The Jonin was reading a little orange book while Sasuke went on to say how he was 'not like the others'. Kakashi responded, saying how he was 'looking forward to seeing the strength of the revered Uchiha Clan.' In a blur of motion, the Genin threw several kunai at Kakashi's feet, forcing the Jonin to jump to the side in order to dodge. Smirking, Sasuke threw a kunai to the side. Said kunai cut a rope that was hidden in the underbrush, releasing a swarm of sharpened steel at the Jonin. Kakashi barely dodged the horde of weapons before Sasuke was upon him, sending expertly-performed kicks and punches at the silver-haired ninja. Both Naruto and Kakashi were surprised by Sasuke's skill with Taijutsu; Naruto because he had never seen Sasuke perform these moves before and Kakashi because he never expected to be pushed so hard in hand-to-hand combat by a mere Academy Student. The Jonin, having blocked each of Sasuke's strikes, pushed the Uchiha away but not before the raven-haired boy was able to lay a finger onto one of the bells. '_I can't even read Icha Icha Paradise while fighting this boy!..._' Kakashi thought, wearily eyeing his 'student'. Smirking once more, Sasuke made several handsigns before bringing a hand up to his mouth and shouting, "Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu! (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)" Kakashi was flabbergasted. '_What!? How could a Genin learn, save even know about, that technique!_'

Not knowing any of the Jonin's thoughts during the battle, Naruto chuckled in the bushes he was hiding behind in amusement at Sasuke's attempts to take on their sensei in a one-on-one fight. '_I'm actually surprised to see the Teme get so close to our sensei, but does he really think he can take on a Jonin at his level?! The man has probably killed more people than Sasuke has even met!'_ His chuckles stopped when he noticed the Jonin make no move to dodge the fireball bearing down on him. '_The hell?!_' Naruto thought as the Jonin was hit full-on by Sasuke's jutsu. Sasuke, on the other hand, smirked in triumph as his 'teacher' was burned to nothing more than ash. His smirk wavered, however, when his technique ended only to reveal a heavily-charred log. He took up a defensive stance as he searched the surrounding wilderness for Kakashi.

'_A Body Replacement Technique just before my technique hit; He is more capable than he lets on... Now, where could he be... To the left?_' Sasuke looked to his left, only to find nothing of interest there. '_… To my right?_' He looked over to his right to have the same results as before. '_… Behind?_' He glanced over his shoulder; No Jonin there. '_… He must be above, then!_' He whipped out his kunai and, preparing to continue the battle, looked up... only to see the clear sky above. A breeze blew through the small clearing Sasuke stood in, carrying with it a tumbleweed that should not even exist in heart of the Fire Nation. Sasuke's shoulders slackened in a comical fashion as he sighed. '_… The bastard left..._'

Suddenly, he felt something wrap around his ankle. Looking down, Sasuke saw a hand rising from the earth beneath him latched onto himself. An ominous chuckle reverberated through the clearing before Kakashi spoke, almost as if he had been reading Sasuke's previous thoughts. "_No, Sasuke_... BENEATH!" Before the Uchiha could react, he was pulled neck-deep into the earth; He could barely recall hearing Kakashi say "Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique)" before feeling the ground surround and contain him. After patting some dirt off of himself, Kakashi crouched down to look at Sasuke's head.

"Exemplary performance, Sasuke; You're understanding and usage of Ninjutsu and Taijutsu is leagues above what I ever expected from a fresh-from-the-Academy Genin. There is, however, one thing you seem to have forgotten..." Sasuke grimaced before he finally spoke. "And just _what_ could that be..." Sasuke hissed out, shamed to have been out-smarted by this... this... _fool_. Kakashi responded, wagging a finger in front of Sasuke's face. "Mah, mah, Sasuke; Have you already forgot what to call me?" Sasuke growled in agitation before he re-worded his previous question. "And just _what_ could I have forgotten, _Kakashi-sensei_..." Kakashi continued wagging his finger before the boy's face. "My, you are a rude one; I'll tell you if you use _The_ magic word..." Sasuke shook in rage for a few moments before he reigned it in. He restated his question once again between clenched teeth. "... _Please_ tell me what I have forgotten, _Kakashi-sensei_..."

Said Jonin eye-smiled. "Much better! Now, as for what you forgot during our little skirmish..." Sasuke stared expectantly at Kakashi as said Jonin struck a thinking pose. "... It would appear that you forgot that... I'm a Jonin and you're a Genin!" Sasuke glared at Kakashi murderously while the Jonin stood up, chuckling. He began speaking once-more, but his lighthearted tone-of- voice had turned hard and cold. "Did you really expect to be able to fight me at an even level? I'll admit that you're good, but good enough to truly test me? Never. I have years more experience than you and I am far more proficient in the ninja arts; Ninjutsu, Taijutsu-" As Kakashi spoke, a feminine scream could be heard off in the distance; The first sign that Sakura was still a part of the test. "... And Genjutsu... Oh how I love Shadow Clones and mind games..." Said Kakashi as he returned to his unassuming self, chuckling some more.

"Your greatest mistake is that you made little effort to conceal yourself; Something that gets far too many ninja killed out in the field." As Kakashi turned away, he threw some parting words Sasuke's way. "It's just as they say; The nail that stands up is the first to be hammered down!" As he watched the Jonin disappear using a Shunshin, Sasuke grumbled in anger. "_That damned man. Who is he to-_" "He is right, you know..." Sasuke spun his head towards the voice, only to see his self-appointed 'rival' walk out from the bushes lining the clearing. "What do you want, _Dobe_; Are you here to gloat over my defeat?..." Naruto shook his head. "No. I don't see the purpose in doing so... right now... But, as Kakashi-teme said, you disregarded stealth. We are ninja, Sasuke; Stealth and deception is what makes us what we are." Sasuke listened to Naruto's little lecture before he spoke up. "... So, is that it? Did you reveal yourself only to give me a lecture?" Naruto shook his head. "No. I actually came looking for you." Puzzled by that response, Sasuke spoke. "Why?" He questioned. "Why, to team up against Kakashi of course!" Naruto answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The Uchiha looked at him in disdain.

"And just why would I want to team up with an idiot like you?" Naruto looked at him before striking a thinking pose. "Oh, I don't know... Maybe because we will have a better chance at getting the bells if we do?" Sasuke glared at him. "... And because you would be able to wipe the metaphorical smirk off of his face?..." Naruto quickly added. Sasuke thought upon the boy's words for almost a minute before speaking. "... I will do so, but on one condition..." "And what condition would that be?" Asked Naruto. "... Don't get in my way." Replied Sasuke. "Funny..." Spoke Naruto, grinning behind his mask. "I was about to say the same thing to you..." Sasuke smirked as Naruto came forward to dig him out.

* * *

**Well... This chapter was a bitch to write. Had a hard time deciding on what I wanted to happen, but ultimately came up with what is written here. As I've said earlier, updates will be coming out much slower; This is mostly due to me starting 2nd semester classes in college. Anyway, R&R so I can improve my writing skills. Also, if any of you are interested, read my other story, Ghosts of the Past, for some hot HALO/Mass Effect/Killzone action.**

**PS. Don't forget to vote on muh poll!**


	10. unfortunate hiatus notice

**Sorry everyone for taking so long to update. College is really picking-up on my end, so it may be a while until I make an official update. I will not, however, abandon this fic; It will just be a long while until something new comes out.  
**

**Until then, I have a poll open on my profile to decide what story shall be written next. Also, I have written some of my ideas for stories down; If anyone wishes to take them up (possibly as a challenge?), lemme know and I'll put a list of names and story titles up for people that may be interested in reading them.**

**KM**

**EDIT (11/5/2012)**

**College is still beating my ass like a red-headed stepchild. Been looking over this story and have come to a conclusion; It slightly sucks. Why do I say this?**

**1. Some parts were not thought-out all that well.**

**2. Naruto's involvement with Hinata came out too soon. (I seriously thought I had the timing pretty well, but made the realization that it takes longer to write the story than to read it (derp herp derp))**

**3. The Teleportation Network totally came out of nowhere with no hints of it beforehand. I still think it is a cool idea, though, and helps to showcase Minato's training towards mastering Hirashin (did I spell that jutsu right?).**

**4. Some of the dialogue and actions made by the characters in this fic are way too ooc (out of character).**

**5. Kakashi is more of an ass than I would have liked to portray him to be. (I may be able to do something with his assiness, though...)**

**6. Naruto's somewhat random breakdown. Still wish to have this happen (who wouldn't have a breakdown after finding out that they were a Furry in disguise. (I will still 'defur' him at some point (will be after the VOTE scene))) in order for him to be hitched with Hinata, but was once again screwed over by timing.**

**I will continue this story as it is now (once this semester is over), but a rewrite is planned for the future to improve the quality of this story... still need a Beta... :C**

**EDIT (1/1/2013)**

**Gearing up to continue writing this story. Looking back upon previous chapters, I have more problems then I initially thought. This being said, I'll still continue this story as it is, but it may be less serious than I intended. Also, when this entire series is finished, I'll start making a rewrite of it that follows the intended path of storytelling more closely.**

**On a side note, you all may notice references to other manga/anime, such as Bleach or Claymore, as you read through the story. There will be no true 'crossovers' with this fic, but I'll write some crossovers based off of this fic in due time.**

**EDIT (1/14/2013)**

**...EVE Online is addictive... Anyways, currently stuck on how I want to handle Sakura's situation and how to write out Kakashi's little skirmish with Naruto and Sasuke.**

**EDIT (1/18/2013)**

**Writing the next chapter as we speak, but it is slow going.**

**EDIT (1/21/2013)**

**Bloody stuck... can't really think of how I want to continue forward; problems from the onset have been plaguing this story. No set character traits or storyline to really follow (wanted to go without a storyline, have it made as I wrote, but that has proven to be far more problematic than I would have like or expected). More than likely will be forced to perform a rewrite sooner than I would have wished...**

**EDIT (2/8/2013)**

**Have edited up to chapter 4 thus far; Liking the edited version! I have been trying to keep Naruto in-character and, thus far, it seems that I've been succeeding. On a side note, I have a crossover between Naruto and Claymore that simply will not go away; What if, on the night of October 10th, Riful of the West attacked Konoha instead of he Kyuubi? Minus some explanation of how she got there in the first place, I can see it actually working pretty well. Anyways, back to editing my other chapters for this story.**

**EDIT (2/15/2013)**

**Family issues have risen up, messing many things up. Got a little more done with the re-write, but not as much as I had hoped to get done. Took a break from chapter editing to begin writing the Claymore/Naruto as a side project fic when I get writer's block with Kyuubi Revealed. Unsure as to its quality, but meh. Have yet to come up with a name for it. I will hint this about it, though; Riful was not the aggressor.**


	11. What's up?

A rewrite of this story, called 'Kyuubi Revealed: The Revamped Veil' is now up, but is currently up to only a measly four chapters. Changes include:

- A more in-character Naruto.

- Added and/or changed details.

- A (possibly) more believable aftermath to the failing of Naruto's henge seal.

- Hiruzen has an erotic dream thanks to Naruto's actions when taking the scroll of seals and now plots his revenge!

Updates for the rewritten Kyuubi Revealed will be coming at a slower pace than previously in order to better develop the chapter before each release (Will use the time to think of what could be added, dropped, etc...).

Anyways, just using this update to let everyone know what is going on. Sorry to make everyone get all sorts of excited for an update.

In the meantime, take a gander at my other story, 'Redemption from the Abyss', for a Claymore/Naruto story that will be written on the side.

KM


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